What does the phrase ‘down to earth’ mean to you?

Earth Writing Exercise

Take a moment.

Find pen and paper.

Transcribe the phrase Down to Earth. 

Place both feet on the ground.

Take three deep breaths, expanding your ribs.

Write free associations of what ‘down to earth’ means to you for 90 seconds.

Wake the spleen, an earth organ with the exercise below. 

Repeat the automatic writing exercise.

Wake the Spleen

With both feet on the ground, raise your left arm.

Wake the spleen organ by tapping on your left side, one hand width below the arm pit.

Vocalize the sound of the spleen: whooooo (like the wise owl calling)- gutteral and brethless

Repeat eight times.

Shanren kan wo xinshi?  Wo xin shi!

Do I posses the earth attributes of integrity and deep trust?  Yes I do!

The phrase down to earth can refer to an approachable person.  Someone that is practical, plain spoken, honest, realistic, trustworthy, unassuming, unpretentious.

What did your list reveal? Which of those qualities do you posses? Which qualities would you like to strengthen?

If there is a quality you would like to embody or strengthen in yourself?

Try replacing the sound of the spleen with the quality that you wish to strengthen.  For example, tap ‘trust’ into your spleen.

The digestive organs are injured by stagnation.  Desk or remote virtual jobs, long hours of studying, research and writing keep us seated.  Relaxing and decompressing may also become habituated to screen time, gaming or media binging. Fatigue sets in from lack of activity; a sedentary life is injurious. Frankly, it is killing us slowly. The combination of oversitting and overthinking is a harmful combination for the earth organs,  particularly the spleen.  The lack of healthy circulation settles dampness deep into our systems. If you are prone to oversitting, please build in healthy habits. 

Set a timer at the desk for 30 minutes to take a 5 minute movement break out of the chair.

Shake away any accumulated worries, negative postures.

Take a few stretches or yoga poses.

Walk to the water station and hydrate.

Walk a few flights of stairs.

Take a walk around the block.

Learn and practice Heaven & Earth Rotation Daily

Heaven & Earth Rotation: Qi Gong Earth Exercise

1. Open the gates of heaven (top of head ~ meeting of ten thousand things) and earth (bottom of feet ~ bubbling spring) again. 
2. Pivot from the lower back with smooth and continuous action. The left palm, facing earth, pushes downward while the right palm, faces heaven, pulls upward. 
3. At the end of the pivot, alternate hand positions. 
4. Repeat 40 times while imagining healing, golden light internally healing and balancing your spleen, stomach and pancreas.

Purchase your element wisdom card deck to support your daily health & wellness journey

Cultivate wellness this Earth season by practicing exercises for healing the spleen with Qigong support. 

Mink Creek at Alberta Orchard Wellness

Winter, according to the wisdom of the elements, is about dreaming, resting, relaxing, restoring, recharging and germinating seeds which will break through the thawing frozen ground of winter come spring when energy naturally moves upward and outward.  Plans made and action taken in harmony with the greater cycles of the cosmos, are much more likely to come to fruition. Over the last few years, I have been observing, studying and syncing myself with the elemental cycles as practiced by the ancients. I often call it ‘re-wilding’ myself. I started with Seasonal Wellness classes in 2015. In 2019 I printed 5 seasonal Element Wisdom Decks – 73 cards for each season totaling 365 days of clinical pearls, lifestyle tips, jedi mind tricks and some deeper dives into traditional medicine, physchology and spirit.

Nourish the water element during the winter season:

•  Go to sleep early and rise with or just before the sun rises. I use an alarm clock only when I have an important appointment.  Natural light awakens me if my internal clock has not.  I am learning to trust this more and more each season.

• Unplug: allow yourself to disconnect from all technology when the sun sets.  Yes, you read that right: read a book, light a fire, make a cup of tea, color, paint, play board games, take a long bath, make music, make love.  Do nothing. Need convincing? Check the research:
  •  
  • Technology, sleep & children
  • Sleep complaints & technology

• Watch every sunrise and sunset possible. Everything has a beginning, middle and end.  Watching the sun rising and setting reminds us as does observing our breath:  the beginning of the inhale, the middle of the inhale, the end of the inhale, a gap or turning, the beginning of the exhale, the middle of the exhale, the end of the exhale, a gap or turning and so it goes.  The most blissful moments as well as the most awkward or difficult days have a beginning, middle and end.  Our breath is like the incoming and outgoing tide of our life’s ocean. Following these cycles develops equanimity; equanimity undoes suffering.

• Be with water as often as possible:  the ocean, rivers, creeks, waterfalls, springs water sound machines, aquariums, you tube water videos. Last winter, I planted 90 ferns in the creek that runs under the screened porch of my off grid tiny house (check back for that blog post).

• Observe how water moves and flows around obstacles. How can we be more like water in our movement in our inner and outer worlds?

• Replace one of your bathroom lights with a red light, so as not to wake your adrenals into a cortisol rise if you need to get up during the night.

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Wolf Bay Sunset, Alabama Gulf Coast

Welcome Fall With Gong Therapy

Gillian Shapiro and Gong at Alberta Orchard Wellness

by Gillian Shapiro

Family Herbalist, Ayurvedic Health Counselor, Gong Therapy Practitioner, Kundalini Yoga and Meditation Instructor, Reiki Practitoner, GriefYogaTM Instructor

We have entered Fall season in the Western hemisphere, a season dominated by the vata dosha. Vata is one of the three doshas or constitutions according to the ancient science of Ayurveda, the sister science to Yoga which is over 5000 years old. The word “Ayurveda” means “science of life”. All of us are made up of a blend of the elements of fire, water, air, ether and earth. In Ayurveda. these elements are categorized into three doshas; namely, vata, pitta and kapha and we contain different proportions of the doshas in our physical, mental and emotional bodies. We’ll focus on vata due to the time of year. Vata is governed by the elements of air and space and is characterized by the qualities of light, dry, brittle, subtle, hard, rough, active, clear and cold. It governs movement. The colon is the main organ associated with vata. The auditory channel is the prominent sense, according to this ancient science, which leads me to the gong and its potential as an especially effective therapy given the time of year. If you are interested in determining your own dosha, follow the link to the online dosha questionnaire courtesy of my herbal mentor, Don Ollsin of Grassroots Herbalism: Dosha Questionnaire

Gillian Shapiro & Gong at Alberta Orchard Wellness

The gong, as a form of sound or sonic therapy, is a wonderful way to welcome this transition to Fall as the weather cools, days become shorter, and leaves dazzle us with their technicolor splendor.  The gong is a musical instrument but when played for meditation, it is used to facilitate health and vitality.

Everything is made up of vibration and the gong vibrates the cells in our bodies. In fact, we are made up of 70% water, meaning we conduct sound! Sound has the potential to profoundly transform us on a cellular level.

Among the variety of potential benefits of the gong are:

• A sense of security and grounding;
• Opening the higher chakras (energy centers); 
• Pain management (particularly migraines);
• Especially soothing for high vata constitutions, i.e., calming and unplugging the overactive mind, reducing anxiety, worry and overwhelm and relief for insomnia; 
• Encourages deep relaxation and a meditative state;
• Trauma and PTSD symptoms;
• Promotes emotional release when working through grief, by moving stuck energy, and breaking and releasing emotional and energetic blocks.

Gillian offers one hour gong therapy appointments at Alberta Orchard Wellness on Monday evenings  from 5-8 p.m. Please follow our two step process today to book your session for Fall.

Book Gong Therapy here and  Pre-pay for your session here or contact us if you need help booking via albertaorchard.com or drsaritaelizabeth.com.

The sounds are oftentimes magical and have been described as ethereal, cosmic, like being in outer space and also likened to ocean waves crashing over us.  The sounds can also be loud and intense, at times, to promote a deep release for the nervous system.

The gong activates the parasympathetic nervous system (also known as the “rest and digest” system), nourishing us energetically, thereby reducing stress and soothing the overly taxed sympathetic “fight or flight” nervous system that we tend to live in during these busy, stressful times.

A gong therapy session is a one-on-one private session, customized to your specific needs based on an intake questionnaire you complete at the beginning of the session.  A typical session lasts one hour and may also include breath work (pranayama), mantra, affirmations, stretching and/or mudras.

Gong therapy is an ideal companion to talk therapy, yoga/meditation, massage therapy, acupuncture, Reiki and many other modalities as well as conventional medical treatments.

The environment is safe, supportive, non-judgmental and soul nourishing.  No prior experience with Yoga, Ayurveda or the gong are necessary. Come with the intention to surrender to the waves of sound and vibration. Of course, everyone is invited to show up and participate when I offer gong baths, private sessions, classes or workshops around town that include the gong. Follow the “Beech Hills Wellness” page on Facebook to check out the schedule or email me at vegout.gillian@gmail.com to be added to our monthly newsletter to keep track of our wellness offerings.  Gillian

What inspired you to learn gong therapy?  I have loved the cosmic sounds and vibrations of the gong since I first experienced them in a yoga class in NYC, where I ultimately did my kundalini yoga teacher training. The gong’s ability to change our state of mind and our consciousness is so profound, as has been my experience. I initially learned to play the gong during a hands-on module of my teacher training that I specifically requested.  I simply could not get enough of this sacred instrument so I had to buy one when I moved to Alabama six+ years ago, where I actually had the space for it (unlike in my NYC apartment). From then on, I practiced and shared the gong’s amazingness with students in my yoga classes. I was called to go a step further and learn Gong Therapy to deepen my understanding of more specific healing protocols facilitated by the gong. Private sessions are unique in that way; I can play to a person’s specific body system, chakra or emotion that needs support.  

From Dr. Cox:

There is a lot of interest in sound healing from ancient Tibetan metal to New Age crystal bowls, from binaural beats (get a free download: https://free-binaural-beats.com/ ) to tuning forks, from to NASA recordings to Masuru Emoto’s photos of frozen sound portrayed in his The Hidden Messages from Water

For research regarding sound and resonance healing please visit the nonprofit, Sound Healing Research Foundation: https://soundhealingcenter.com/shrf/

Check out this Amazing 17 minute TEDx talk with Music Professor Anthony Holland with drug~less sound resonance healing with Cancer.

 https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-iba-1&hsimp=yhs-1&hspart=iba&p=sound+healing+TED+anthony#id=1&vid=3c71874722106f1a4a78e402e62df285&action=click

Gillian offers one hour gong therapy appointments at Alberta Orchard Wellness on Monday evenings  from 5-8 p.m. Please follow our two step process today to experience sound healing this Fall!

Book Gong Therapy here and  Pre-pay for your session here or or contact us if you need help booking via visit albertaorchard.com or drsaritaelizabeth.com.

Love Heals. Period.

In Memoriam

In a recent post about Fire pericardium, I introducted you to Dr. Rachel Eppinga, ND, LAc.  Rachel passed from this world into the light on the autumn equinox. Her body was diseased with cancer. I’ve included the last message she sent out to her community/tribe below. Rachel was a wayshower of how to reflect and transmute beauty in any situation; she was a beacon of light, a gatherer of women to heal together.

I was recently gifted a very special Love Qigong from my dear colleague Rachel Eppinga, ND, LAc, when we gathered in Hara Mara, Mexico this past February during my first ever women’s retreat. It was a magical jungle meeting ocean, organic, fresh eats from the sea fest ~ full of love, support, opening, ritual, sunsets, qigong and play!  I encourage you to visit her site, explore her story of Love Heals. Period., and be inspired by her love notes and medicine. I will be offering her heart focused sequence, which acknowledges the directions and activates our chakras in a form filled with her deep connections and love of dance. Dr. Rachel Eppinga’s Love Qigong sequence, which she blessed for me to teach to our community, is briefly shown in the film clip linked below. This heart opening move is repeated throughout a sequence that honors direction, energy, ourselves, and each other.

VIDEO LINK

Dr. Rachel Eppinga is Board Certified in the state of Oregon. She attended the National University of Natural Medicine to acquire her Doctorate in Naturopathy and Masters of Science in Classical Chinese Medicine. She holds a B.S. in mathematics and physics from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR. Her list of certifications and continuing education is long.

As a Naturopathic Physician, Acupuncturist, Integrative Life and Wellness Coach, Intuitive and an individual who lives her teachings; her unique approach offers new perspectives of wellness through the ancient teachings that remind us that our bodies are sacred and deserve our attention and appreciation. She believes by prioritizing our own health and self care, we contribute to the healing of our communities and the planet.

Earth is a grounding force during this time of transition between the seasons. After all of the activity of spring and summer, the Earth element helps us to get centered and balanced during late summer as we prepare for the autumn harvest and for winter, the season of rest and restore.

Nature moves from the joy and blossoming of Summer to the harvest and returnings of Late Summer.  As the days grow shorter, the temperatures begin to decrease. Earth transforms into Metal as the Season of Autumn arrives with downward momentum of the generative cycles of the seasons.

The Chinese associate the concept of “decrease” with late summer while simultaneously referring to it as the period of abundance ~ both are true as the complexity of truth often is. Physically and spiritually, this period of late summer is a time for slowing down and gathering. It is a time when we realize and harvest the fruits of our labor. In our spiritual lives, the Earth element allows us to internalize and learn to nourish and care for ourselves, slowing down toward the decline of fall and pause of winter.

Tips for living in harmony with the late summer EARTH season

• • Practice gratitude for the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. Autumn is the season of harvest, when we reap what we planted in the spring and what bears fruit from our perennial crops. It is the time to gather nature’s bounty from our gardens. We eat with gratitude and preserve nourishment for the coming winter months. Here at the AOW, the green kiwis are building their sugar content for picking, and the persimmons are also ripening with their blush of orange. Stay tuned for information about U-pick opportunities coming up at AOW.
    
    

    Persimmons are ripening at AOW.

  • Be thoughtful of how you can nourish ourselves and others. In this bountiful, harvest season, be sure to enjoy the benefits of giving. It doesn’t have to be a  great or elaborate gift or act. A simple gesture, kind deed, or word of encouragement given today is beyond measure to someone in need.

• • Be aware of your life’s harvest. Think about yourself, your relationships, and your work, you legacy. What parts of your life are yielding fruit? Where is the harvest poor and stunted? What is  rich in harvest? A positive affirmation for transition: Don’t Worry. Be Happy. When feeling filled with worry and self doubt, remember that this too can pass along with the season. If not, it is an opportunity to concentrate self-care toward your Earth element!
  • Consider what you need to “let go” during the coming autumn season. It is the time to reflect on the past year and critically examine what in our lives we choose to nourish, and those habits and behaviors that are negative or destructive, which we should want to eliminate. Release old resentments or hurts.  Practice letting go of the old so that the new can be born. Start anew.
  • Go Unprocessed October.  For several years now, I’ve taken the ‘pledge’ to eat only unprocessed foods during the month of October.  It helps me bypass the slippery sugary slope of Halloween to Christmas treats and affirms my commitment to a  lifestyle of real food.  Join me this year in a community of tips, recipes, kitchen hacks, support, and inspiration. Click here to learn more and scroll to take the pledge of a month of unprocessed foods!

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, autumn is the season of the Metal element. Metal represents our core issues, the most basic parts of ourselves. The energy connected with Metal is attracted to beauty and symmetry. The emotion connected with Metal is grief and sadness as well as courage and catharsis. Themes of Metal include:  boundaries, integrity, persistence, judgment, competition, transmutation, value, patriarchy, the divine masculine and our spiritual connect to heaven. In autumn, we say goodbye to the abundance of summer and prepare for the winter. Metal connects us with the ability to let go of the past and allow space for the new.

Let go of stress by shaking it out!

Release tensions and revive yourself naturally. The simple movement of shaking is a powerful and effective qigong technique. Qigong shaking cleans and clears blockages. You’ll feel relaxed and energized with just one session of shaking.

What is Qigong? (pronounced Chee-Gung)

Qigong opens the flow of energy in the acupuncture meridians.

Qigong is a mind-body-spirit practice that combines posture, movement, breathing technique, self-massage, sound, and focused intent. Qigong opens the flow of energy in the acupuncture meridians. Qigong movements condition tendons, ligaments, and muscles; tone our vital organs and connective tissues; and promote circulation of body fluids. Numerous studies show that qigong is effective in helping to heal health issues ranging from high blood pressure and chronic illness to emotional conditions, mental stress, and spiritual unrest.

Qigong is considered an ‘internal’ tai chi.  Meaning, that the focus is on balancing the internal meridian, organs, and body systems. There is evidence for acute physiological and psychological effects of qigong exercise in older practitioners.

Qigong Shaking Introduction:

Set up in Universal Stance: Place feet hip distance apart with toes pointing slightly inwards, in partial universal or horse stance, weight slightly on the outside of the foot. Check posture: tail bone slightly tucked, chin slightly tucked, knees bent like riding a horses, feet parallel, arms hanging . Relax.

Shake body, relax and shake. Shake open the pores of the skin, Shake into the tendons, into the muscle layer, then the tendons and ligaments, connective tissue, deep into the organs, the bones, and the nervous system. You can use the sounds of the elements, the organs, color. 

Notice the body and any blockages.  Shake into them. Start with three minutes building up to five minutes.Become aware of your breath as you shake shake. Sound/vocalization helps release tensions and blockages. Continue shaking also lifting and dropping on your heels. Now continue shaking.  Shake into your skin, your muscles, your bones, your organs. Shake free form, what into what ever feels stuck or tense. Shake like no one is watching!

Feel your body, feel the dynamism within. Settle into yourself, the space around you.  Feel your breath.  Find your universal self, stance (above) then let your arms float up, elbows bent slightly, arms relaxed, with a small weighted string pulling your elbows ever so slightly downward, hands in front, gathering the light energy in front of you, recognizing the the source of it all ~ the  universe within.  Feel beyond your skin, into the space outside yourself. Listen to the sounds around you. Feel the boundries, the edges and the boundlessness and the lack of edges. Notice your aliveness.

Notice the parts of your body that are tense or inflammed and shake it out. Be mindful of your body and focus on the areas in need of attention and stress release. Have fun with it and your body will thank you!

Here’s a video with a quick and easy shaking demonstration that I think you will enjoy! I am inspired and feel the need to get to video-ing for y’all!

http://www.naturehealth.com.au/what-is-qi-gong/tiandi-qigong-basic-routine/qigong-shaking/

Qigong Earth Sequence; Heaven & Earth Rotation

You can continue to cultivate wellness during this Earth season by practicing exercises for healing the spleen with Qigong support. Stand with your feet touching the earth (or visualize this if indoors) in the universal stance, emulating a horse riding posture, with a relaxed yet dignified upright spine. Wake up the meridian and organ networks with three to five minutes of qigong shaking then relax and feel the energy of the earth support and heavenly flow within your body. Wake the organ spleen by tapping and repeating eight times the sound of the spleen: whooooo  (like the wise owl calling to us). Open the gates of heaven (top of head ~ meeting of ten thousand things) and earth (bottom of feet ~ bubbling spring) again.  Pivot from the lower back with smooth and continuous action. The left palm, facing earth, pushes downward while the right palm, faces heaven, pulls upward.  At the end of the pivot, alternate hand positions.  Repeat 40 times while imagining healing, golden light internally healing and balancing your spleen, stomach and pancreas.

Group Qigong Session at AOW

More on letting go of stress and anxiety for the Return of Earth!

Stimulation of the vagus nerve plays an important role in the management of anxiety and mental health issues. The vagus nerve is the longest running cranial nerve in your body. It is one of ten paired cranial nerves and runs from the stem of your brain all the way down to your gut. The word “vagus” translates to “wandering” in Latin, and the vagus nerve certainly does that. As the longest and most complex of all the cranial nerves, it starts at the stem of the brain, behind the ears before it meanders down the sides of the neck, through the chest, and eventually ends in the abdomen linking the brain to the heart, lungs, throat, and gut.

Vagus Nerve Connects the Brain and Gut

This nerve is the sensory network that informs the brain of what’s going on in our organs, most specially the digestive tract (stomach and intestines), lungs and heart, spleen, liver, and kidneys. 

Significant and important research has been making the news about a microbiota-gut-brain axis. Read up on this fascinating subject here. Also this article discusses the science behind gut microbiota, brain function and stress related disorders.

People with good vagal tone can relax faster after a stress and are more capable of regulating blood glucose levels, reducing chances of diabetes, stroke and cardiovascular disease. Poor vagal tone, however, is associated with chronic inflammation and basket load of subsequent health issues. Recent research presented by the European League Against Rheumatism indicate that vagus nerve stimulation significantly reduces symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Relevant to Earth element health, I’ve collected these research links for you:

• Vagal mechanisms as neuromodulatory targets for the treatment of metabolic disease.
• Impact of blood glucose control on sympathetic and vagus nerve functional status in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
• Vagal afferents contribute to sympathoexcitation–driven metabolic dysfunctions.
• Role of the vagus nerve in the development and treatment of diet-induced diabetes.

How to practically soothe your nervous system:

• Take a cold shower or plunge
• Splash cold water on face & neck
• Sing, laugh, chant, hum, & hug
• Restore the microbe of the gut
• Relax jaw tension
• Meditate on loving kindness
• Positive Social Connect

HEALING SOUNDS FOR THE EARTH ELEMENT

The healing sounds are one of the most effective medical qigong practices. They clear heat and toxins, cool the body, release unfavorable energy and emotional qi, and build the connection to the natural virtue of the shen…The healing sounds are a powerful emotional transforming qi gong.

Click here for a discussion of the Six Healing Sounds: Chinese Mantras for Healing the Body, Mind, and Soul.

Sound is such a powerful way to heal!  Find a routine which invites healing vibration and sound into your world.  What would it be like to play background sound as you get ready for work in the mornings or when you are preparing dinner?  Maybe to celebrate the weekend upon waking? Seriously y’all let’s find a bit more play in our routines!

IN CASE YOU MISSED LAST WEEK’S POST (SOUNDS OF EARTH FROM SPACE)  AND BECAUSE WE LOVE IT SO MUCH, CLICK HERE! 

Shanren kan wo xinshi?  Wo xin shi!

Do I posses the earth attributes of integrity and deep trust?  Yes I do!

RETURN TO EARTH ELEMENT

Autumn days come quickly, like the running of a hound on the moor.
–Irish proverb

Autumn is right around the corner for all of us in the Northern Hemisphere, while the folks in the Southern Hemisphere are preparing for warmer, spring weather. 

In 2019, the Autumnal Equinox arrives on Monday, September 23, at 3:50 A.M. Eastern Standard Time. The autumn equinox happens at the same moment worldwide marking the astronomical start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere. After the autumnal equinox, nights begin to grow longer than the days until the winter solstice in December, when the days start to grow longer and the nights are shorter. The Autumnal Equinox represents the symmetry between light and darkness, as a balance is struck between day and night.

According to the Chinese Medicine understanding of the cycle of the seasons, we have technically returned to Earth phase, or Doyo, which is the transitional time when the seasons change, four times per year. After this return to earth transition, we will be in the metal phase of the seasons which invites reflection and resonates with breath and sound healing.

The Earth element is associated with times of change throughout the year, which happen between each of the seasons around the two equinoxes and the two solstices. These transition phases begin about 7 days before each equinox and solstice and continue for about 7 days after, which constitute an approximate three-week period of adjustment between the seasons. The Doyo, or Earth, is its own “mini-season”. In case you missed our earlier post on the Return to the Earth Element, click here.

I  embrace and promote the wisdom of seasonal cycles  increasing awareness of and balancing our individual constitutions within dynamic change and to honor repeating cycles throughout our return to our wholeness.  

WHAT IS THE EQUINOX?

The word “equinox” comes from Latin aequus, meaning “equal,” and nox, “night.” On the equinox, length of day and night are roughly equal.

During the equinox, the sun crosses the “celestial equator”—an imaginary line or extrapolation of Earth’s equator line into space. The equinox occurs precisely when the sun’s center passes through this line. When the sun crosses the equator from north to south, this marks the autumnal equinox; when it crosses from south to north, it marks the vernal equinox.

At this exact moment, the lengths of day and night are approximately equal around the world in the Northern and Southern hemispheres — hence the term “equinox,” which is derived from the Latin phrase meaning “equal night.”

Image credit: NASA

Why the Autumnal Equinox Doesn’t Fall on the Same Day Every Year

Depending on the part of the world and time zone where you live, the equinox usually falls on either September 22 or 23; although it can sometimes occur anytime between September 21 and 24. That is because the equinox is not an exact, daylong event but is defined by the position of the Earth and the sun at a particular moment in time. 

Ancient Autumn Traditions 

The fall equinox has been celebrated by cultures for ages as people track the transitions of the Earth’s paths around the Sun. Indigenous cultures recognized EARTH wisdom and understood that the Winter Solstice, Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, and Autumn Equinox reflect our own inner spiritual journey.

• An ancient stone monument called Intihuatana at Machu Picchu in Peru, which means “Hitching Post of the Sun”, serves as a solar clock to mark the dates of the equinoxes and solstices.  
• In Mexico, the Mayans built a giant pyramid called Chichen Itza. On the equinoxes, a snake created by light appears to slither down the pyramid’s steps.
• And of course, in England, Stonehenge is aligned with the equinoxes and solstices.

An image of the serpent appearing on the side of the Temple of Kukulcan on the equinox at Chichen Itza

SIGNIFICANCE

The Autumnal Equinox is a significant time of year to honor the harvest, which may be an actual harvest of fruits and vegetables from your garden or the harvest of efforts and intentions for your life that you set earlier in the year.  This Earth seasonal return represents the harvest time of year, when we acknowledge the gifts and abundance in our lives. It is a time when we can see, in nature, a reflection of our own lives as we go through cycles of growth, harvest, death, and rebirth.

At the Autumnal Equinox, it’s important to take a moment to go inward. Life is a continuous circle of shifting and evolving, dying, and being reborn again. Because change is a constant, it is possible to identify unbroken patterns within the ebb and flow of life. As we become quiet during this time of transition, we are allowing space for our greater vision to emerge and set in motion the intentions for another cycle. I encourage you to take some time September 23 to be mindful of your life cycle and spiritual path. Honor your own growth and inner light.

Express GRATITUDE for everything ~ the easy stuff and the challenging stuff.  Give THANKS for the ability to awaken to our true nature, to the awareness that everything we need is available or made available to us. Acknowledge the gifts and ABUNDANCE in our lives.

WE HAVE RETURNED TO THE EARTH ELEMENT SO LETS TALK EARTH OR IN THIS CASE LISTEN TO THE AMAZING SOUNDS OF  EARTH FROM SPACE.  IT’S SO COOL!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x8P-o296ZI#action=share

Click here to learn more about the scientific underpinnings of  ‘harmonic resonance’ and the sounds of the earth.

DID SOMEBODY SAY BEES?

We have all heard about the declining bee populations caused by pests like tracheal and varroa mites, colony collapse disorder (CCD), and the use of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals. Unfortunately, toxic chemicals like pesticides harm not only bees, but also butterflies, bats, birds, and other animals. A focus on natural, nontoxic beehive management including keeping bees without harmful antibiotics, pesticides, and other chemicals, may not only save the bees but save us!

Bees are responsible for pollinating much of the food we eat. Without pollinators like honeybees, up to 30% of our food would actually disappear including many of our favorite fruits. Foods such as plums, beans, broccoli, and mangoes all depend on pollination by bees.

Natural beekeeping is an approach to beekeeping encouraging minimal manipulation and as hands-off an approach as possible

Backyard beekeeping ensures that the food crops in our backyard gardens are pollinated. Bees forage up to two miles from their hive, so a colony of bees in an area or neighborhood translates to everyone’s gardens and orchards producing more yield. I’m fascinated with and awed by bee wings and their frequency which you can read all about here.

Tips for a Healthy Earth Element Season

The organs of digestion and nutrition~the spleen, pancreas, and stomach~ are associated with the Earth Element. Western Medicine views the spleen as part of the immune system; however Chinese Medicine couples the spleen with the stomach as part of the body’s digestive system. The stomach receives and breaks down the food we eat while the spleen separates the pure from the impure for proper distribution. The pancreas regulates blood-sugar levels in the body.

The Spleen, Stomach and Pancreas comprise the Earth Element organs from a 5 phase system.  The return to the earth during this period of transition invites us to concentrate our healing aim toward blood sugar balance. Naturopathic Physicians choose to address the cause of dis-ease and have a lot of wisdom to offer us!

My colleague, Dr Mona Morstein, discusses diabetes management and healing from a Naturopathic point of view:

PODCAST LINK HERE

The podcast begins with Type I diabetes, gut microbiome, intestinal permeability (17) Type 1.5 (18.3) Type 2 (20) Sleep (22) BMI (26) Inflammation/Oral Health (29)Blood Glucose monitors (32)  Levels (35) Dawn Phenomena (37) Concerns with A1C (39) Fatty Liver (42) Foods and Carbohydrates (44) Supplements (50) Insulin Resistance/Appetite (53) Complications (57)

You can purchase her new book on Amazon: B076DGZW1N

ep108-mastering-your-diabetes-with-dr.-mona-morstein

Here’s some of what you’ll learn:

• The many types of diabetes
• The pitfalls of conventional diabetes treatment
• The food that you’ll definitely want to eliminate to prevent type 1 diabetes
• The dietary approach (es) that’s helped Mona manage diabetes successfully for over 25 years!
• What your blood sugar numbers mean
• The shortcoming of HA1C measurements and new, improved test for glucose management
• What the “dawn phenomenon” is and how to fix it!
• The link between diabetes and oral health
• LIfestyle strategies for managing diabetes
• The shocking link between poor sleep and diabetes
• The best diabetes supplement on the market
• And SO much more

There are now adhesive (no more sticks) 14 day blood glucose monitors that may be right for you.

The product that Dr Morstein has developed is Diamend by Priority One.  

You can purchase Diamend by Priority One, Gymnema sylvestre by Wise Woman Herbals, Super EFA by Genestra (or Vegan Prenatal DHA) along with a large selection of protein powders and your other favorite professional grade products, through our electronic pharmacy, Fullscript.  Search, click and have delivered to your home.  Don’t have an account? Simply create one via the link below. 

To learn more about Dr Mona Morstein:

Dr Mona Morstein’s website