When we honor the stillness of winter, love settles.

Winter is the quiescent season.

The season to remember, accept, forgive and heal generational to generation.

This is all work to be done in the deep and quiet essence of spirit.

First we find self love.

Then we find love for the other, the beloved.

Next we expand our heart to those with which we have difficulties.

Finally we can honestly expand our circle of love to the greater community.

This is metta. This is the practice of loving kindness.

It will rock your world.

Have you ever considered your power, your drive or your will like unto water? I was raised up on the Tennessee River. The singing river has been harnessed to provide hydroelectric power to the multitudes at the expense of snails and darters and such.

In our highest, most healthy state our power is like a mighty river determined in it’s purposefulness. In our highest, most healthy state our drive is like a stream flowing around obstacles. In our highest, most healthy state our will is like a singular tributary merging with the ocean great.

#water #winter #fiveelements #river #ambition #power #will #drive #elementwisdomcards #wisdom#elements

The water element paired organs that peak in winter are the Bladder and Kidney (plus adrenals).

The bladder meridian travels from the inner canthus of the eye across the head down the back side of the entire body exiting out the little toe. It traverses all of us.

Many of the point names indicate their function: bright eyes, supporting yang, supporting middle, celestial pillar, soul door, spirit hall, spiritual celestial connection, soul gate.

Acupuncture treats all levels of the human – mind, body, spirit.

Treating the bladder points can not only treat our organs like the bladder or the eyes, but it can also treat our spiritual sickness. It can help us see through the eyes of spirit. The dark clouds of our emotions and thinking can be cleared to see the bright blue skies of divine perfection.

Winter is Dreamtime.

Make the connection to your internal visionary this winter.

Dream it.

Envision it.

Humans and all other organisms are consistently modifying and adjusting to survive, become more fit, and thrive.  Physical and behavioral traits evolve in response to stressors or rewards. In a world of increasing technology, transhumanism, augmented reality and artificial intelligence, we have grown increasingly disconnected from nature.  

I invite you to return to the dynamic and seasonal rhythm. In the slowing, you will find your true connection.  In stopping, you will find your way. Winter is the season to rest, restore and reconnect.  We may be uncomfortable in the stillness of this season, unable to settle.  We will have to remember our innate connection. Sometimes that means support.  Our adrenals have often been taxed in our efforts to adapt to a rapidly changing world. We may feel the burnout of caregiving, parenting, adulting, working.  Winter is the perfect season for adaptogenic herbs and mushrooms.  Read on to see the particular gift of each of these highly regarded supports.

Support your journey back to Source. Purchase the entire collection.

The Element Wisdom card decks are perfect to inspire healthy habits that are in harmony with the greater natural seasons. 73 unique messages provide guidance during each season as well as the transitional days around the solstices & equinoxes. 365 days of wisdom in 5 seasonal decks ~ water, wood, fire, earth, metal.

Water, Metal, Earth, Wood and Fire decks are in stock & available for purchase in the Square store.

At times we need supplemental support for our organs, seasonal or situational. Adaptogens support your body and mind back to homeostasis (dynamic balance). Their actions increase or decrease chemical reactions within your body related to stress. They act on the nervous system and the adrenals. Some of my favorite adaptogens are:

Ashwaganda to Soothe

Ashwagandha has over 4,000 years of traditional use in Ayurvedic medicine for improving energy and sleep, balancing hormones, supporting memory and learning, promoting libido, and anti-aging. Ashwagandha promotes calm. It has anti-inflammatory properties.  It boosts the immune system and can be helpful with arthritis and fertility challenges.

Rhodiola to Calm Spirit

Rhodiola extract helps promote a calm emotional state and supports strong mental performance, optimal immune function, and hormonal balance. It is a key adaptogen for reducing anxiety. It improves mental and physical stamina, improves sleep, and reduces stress, “burn out,” and irritability. It boosts the immune system, decreases the frequency of colds and infections, and reduces inflammation. It is used in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome as well as fibromyalgia.  It can be beneficial for poor appetite and as part of a treatment plan for chronic stress headaches.

Tulsi to Vitalize

Holy basil has been revered in India for over 5,000 years as an herb that calms the mind and spirit, and promotes longevity. In Ayurvedic medicine it is called Tulsi, which means “incomparable one.” It is used to improve energy and relieve fatigue, for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions, and to lower blood glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol. Holy basil may also protect the liver, helps with nicotine withdrawal, and elevates the mood, especially providing relief from mild depression. While this herb is related to common basil, it is a different species and common basil is not a substitute.

Siberian Ginseng to enhance Performance

Eleutherococcus is one of the most well-researched adaptogens. It is used to increase mental alertness and performance, enhance concentration and increase energy and stamina, reduce stress and fatigue, reduce dream-disrupted sleep and insomnia, and enhance immunity and improve detoxification. It is anabolic, which means it helps build muscle and prevents the breakdown of muscle as we age.

Reishi mushroom to Nourish

Reishi mushrooms are highly regarded in Chinese medicine to nourish andsupport adrenal function. While Reishi is best known for promoting health immunity, resistance to colds and infections, and reducing inflammation, Reishi also helps support the body’s natural abilities to detoxify from environmental exposures, and also calms the nervous system, promoting deeper, more relaxing and restorative sleep.

I recommend professional grade products.  Otherwise, we may end up with re-labeled, expired, counterfeit or adulterated supplements. Create or Log into your Fullscript account to access my on-line pharmacracy. 

You can click here to view my winter adrenal stress protocol. 

I help patients individualize this protocol and typically prescribe one of the following:

Book a telemedicine visit for a supplement review, seasonal wellness plan or naturopathic consult. 

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. It helps to regulate our heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, sweating, and speech.

When we are in parasympathetic dominance we are able to rest and heal.

Vagus Nerve Connects the Brain and Gut

The vagus nerve and it’s feedback are 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.

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. Recent research presented by the European League Against Rheumatism indicate that vagus nerve stimulation significantly reduces symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Symptoms are messages from our body that something is wrong. Poor vagal tone can express as ongoing high levels of stress, anxiety, depression, overwhelm, an inability to focus or regulate emotions and inflammation. The nerve can become damaged express deeper dysfunction such as abnormal heart rate, blood pressure or glucose.  Digestion or speech may be become compromised.

It is essential to listen to our bodies. Winter is the perfect season to slow down and take notice of our capacity to reset, restore and recharge.

This study on loving kindness meditation improved healthy vagal tone in participants. Being present and acknowledging that everything in the moment is okay reduces anxiety.

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.

The critical first step in healing is accepting things as they actual are.

We live in a world where there is plenty that requires our resistance.

However, healing requires courageous honesty about ourself, our perceptions, our motivations, our circumstances and their cause.

I have doubled down on my commitment to live a life in alignment with my core values and the elemental.

My winter healing so far has looked like:

Living without liquid stress.
I had habituated a high quality jasmine green tea morning ritual. I would make one small pot of green tea then refresh the same leaves until noon. Occasionally, I would have one cup of coffee on special or social times. Even this small amount of caffeine masked my ability to feel my natural response of stress (cortisol surge) or ease (endorphin release).

Now I can actually feel my body’s feedback system and dig deeper into the root causes. From this understanding, I make better choices.

Living for today.
The last few years turned many of our lives upside down. I made plans from a place of fear. These plans are falling apart. I accepted a graduate teaching position with unethically low wages and promises of great job to come. I also spent a huge amount of time, energy and resources developing online classes that would bring in a consistent stream of income and continuity of care for patients and the opportunity to meet new ones -that project never gained traction. I have released these plans.

I have come back round to the real. I am offering real Wellness gatherings & Nature connects in real time during 2023.

Plans made in reaction to scary and unsettling situations are suspect. Maybe we just don’t know what is coming and can learn how to be okay with that.

I am living in winter. Studying how water moves, how it changes forms.

#water #winter #fear #healing #5elements

A loving reminder as many of us are finding new ways in a rapidly, ever changing world.

What strengths the quality of resilience?

• Healthy habits ~ Double down on restorative sleep, wholesome foods, clean water, exercise, autonomy.
• Invite real connection ~ In these days of the digital, the virtual, non-local, augmented & artificial realities bring your trusted & beloveds close.
• Adapt – Flow around obstacles; try a new way; circumvent the programming.
• Gratitude – Count your blessings daily; speak them; write them.
• Connect – Align with God, source, spirit, higher power.
• Slow down, be still, stop ~ Pause before you respond, meditate, center, pray, stop the narrative.

Live from your core values & delights. Roam the woods. Embody the elements.

Sweetness is associated with the Earth Element.

Although a touch of sweetness can stimulate the spleen and pancreas, indulging in too much sweet food and drink can cause digestive issues and decrease energy levels. The primary dietary tip for this transitional time of year is to avoid sugars and sugary foods; however, local (raw) honey in small amounts nourishes the spleen, emanating the golden color of the season. 

All vegetables and fruits in earth tone colors benefit the Earth element.

Supplement the diet with squash, carrots, dates, figs, peaches, pears, sweet potatoes as alternatives to unhealthy refined sugars and sweets. Picking fruit and vegetables perfectly ripe from the tree, vine, bush or ground gifts our bodies the most perfect form for consumption.  So grow your own fruits and vegetables or frequent your local farmer’s markets!  Consider shopping for smaller quantities more frequently during this season of abundance.

It is important to avoid foods that cause dampness in the body like dairy and fried foods. I know we Southerners love our iced sweet tea, but cold foods and beverages, especially putting ice in drinks and ice cream, shock the spleen causing digestive issues. Room temperature water is best or constitutionally corrective herbal teas or infused waters cooled in the refrigerator if you must. Remember to chew your food well and eat slowly to support the spleen!

More thorough chewing releases and magnifies the taste of the season, sweet.

This is the ideal time to nurture your Earth energy with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. Also try yoga postures for your spleen and stomach as demonstrated here.  

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.

Don’t worry, be happy.

How to 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
  

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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.

When we are in parasympathetic dominance we are able to rest and digest, rest and heal.

Vagus Nerve Connects the Brain and Gut

The vegas 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.

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.

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.

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.