Boost Energy, Chronic Disease, Emotional health, Meditation, Natural pain relief, Natural Remedies, Natural Sleep Support, Personal Development, Pregnancy, Women's health

Why Float Therapy May Be The Best Holistic Practice For You

October 11, 2019 by Brandy Falcon No Comments

Want to release stress, dissolve tension, and spark your creative juices? Float therapy in a sensory deprivation tank can bring you all of that as well as deep peace of mind! I highly recommend it and here’s why…

Float therapy has been popularized by athletes, celebrities, and other influencers who want to condition both their bodies and their minds. This is something we all can be striving for though!

Yes, there are several modalities that can do that too: the mindful movement of Yoga, the energetics of Taichi or Qigong, skilled massage, and of course Meditation. However, these methods are not attractive or accessible for everyone (like my dear husband!). I believe floating is a happy medium, where most people can experience peace without feeling like they need to learn special skills.

What is Float Therapy?

I had a vague idea of what floating was when Anna from Insight Float invited me to try out their services. I knew it involved two of my favorite things – water and relaxation – so of course I quickly accepted!

When booking my appointment on the website, I learned that Insight Float has two different sized tanks. Each of them provide two very different experiences. Rumi, the larger, custom-made one, is best for pregnant women and athletic recovery. Lilly Pad, the standard tank, is best for people who want to feel more grounded and is best for those experiencing anxiety. I decided to book Rumi, just to make sure I had enough space to move.

At my appointment, I was warmly welcomed by Sarah. She gave me a thorough 10 minute orientation about the floating experience that quickly turned my fear into fascination.

The float tanks are filled with 10 inches of body-temperature water, in which 1200 lbs. of epsom salts have been dissolved. The salt water matches the pressure inside the body, allowing one to float and feel perfectly balanced.

My Experience with Sensory Deprivation

I entered the water with nothing on. My legs effortlessly floated up, allowing me to rest back suspended by the warm water. I had brought in a floating light, but turned it off after a few minutes once I started relaxing.

The sound of my breath was amplified in the silent space. I stretched out my inhalations and doubled the length of my exhalations, making a conscious effort to let go of tension.

I became distracted as I started noticing pain in my upper back and neck. With my arms above my head, the tightness in between my shoulder blades quickly dissolved, but the pain in my neck became more pronounced and pinpointed. For about 10 minutes I fidgeted, massaged, and wondered if I’d ever get comfortable (not unlike my struggle with seated meditation!)

There was a shift when I realized I was spending too much time focusing on discomfort. I was saying to myself, “this would be perfect if only I didn’t have this pain in my neck.” Once I acknowledge this, I went back to my breath, knowing that I could still appreciate this simple moment regardless of tension. I don’t know how much time had passed, but when I brought awareness back to my neck, there was no more pain!

From that moment on, which was about 30 minutes into my session, I slipped into the deepest meditation since before I had my son (back when I’d go on silent 5-day retreats!).

Soft music ended my session. As I sat up, I almost started to cry. I had tapped into something really big here, not just for myself, but for my family, friends, and clients. I wanted everyone to know about this therapy and it’s possibilities for healing!

My First Appointment at Insight Float

Benefits of Float Therapy

I felt grounded, clear, and confident for days after my first float therapy session. There are even more benefits of floating than what I experienced though! Here’s a list of possible effects that sensory deprivation in a float tank can create:

Clarity of mind
Reduced pain and inflammation
Relaxed muscles
Balanced emotions & improved mood
Flow of creative thoughts
Relief from pregnancy symptoms (swelling, pain, agitation, etc.)
Clear skin
Regulation of blood pressure
Improved immunity
Deeper sleep

What do you think? Are you up for trying float therapy too? I’d love to hear about your experience once you do! Please let us all know in the comments.

Well wishes to you…

Chronic Disease, Emotional health, Environmental Concerns, Essential Oils, Kids Health, Natural pain relief, Organic lifestyle, Toxin-free living, Women's health

Why Is Everyone So Excited About Essential Oils?

July 1, 2019 by Brandy Falcon No Comments

There was a time in American history when essential oils were only used by traditional healers, massage therapists, and subculture flower children. But now, we have modern families, business owners, and even medical doctors using them in their homes and professions. Why is everyone so excited about essential oils these days?

Here are 5 reasons why I believe essential oils are back to stay! After reading them, you may decide to incorporate them into your lifestyle too!

Why essential oils popular?

1. We need alternative healthcare

Essential oil knowledge was lost when modern medicine became popular in the United States. This is because people used to think Western medicine was more evolved, and therefore should have greater respect. Some innovations, like life-saving surgeries and fertility procedures are truly miraculous. However, this standard of care is only focused on palliative measures. It doesn’t address the root cause of health imbalances. We need and expect more.

We’re realizing that Western Medicine is not making us healthier. We are wising up and asking:

WHY is this happening to me?

WHAT does my body need to be healthier?

HOW can I maintain health?

Nature, traditional medicines, alternative health practitioners, and your own intuition are the best guides.

Essential oils are gifts from nature that help support physiological functions, improve mood, control infections, and thereby add to our health.

2. Essential oils are effective alternatives to toxic products

We are living in a toxic soup that triggers many health problems in our population. Visit EWG.org to learn more about pesticides, herbicides, antibacterial agents, and other threats in our environment. They’re still legal in the U.S., even they disrupt hormones, destroy gut flora, decrease immunity, and cause cancer. Therefore, it’s up to manufacturers to remove them from their products or up to consumers to stop buying them.

Essential oils can clean our homes and bodies. Many families make their own home and personal care products using essential oils. There’s also some trusted companies who provide ready-made products using essential oils. These are safe and effective replacements to toxic conventional products found on grocery store shelves.

3. Essential oils have been used effectively for thousands of years

Did you know essential oils have been used from the beginning of history? Ancient Chinese, Indian, Greek, and Egyptian civilizations prized them for their beauty enhancing, spiritual, and therapeutic value. So even though they are new to Americans, that’s not so in the rest of the world.

Our culture is starting to respect older modalities like my profession of Chinese Medicine, as well as using Essential Oils. I would not call it a trend. Americans are just now seeing what has always been around – an awakening of sorts!

4. People want to feel empowered & resourceful with health choices

Many people these days don’t believe that “doctors know best”. It’s important to have a health practitioner as a guide or for a different perspective. However, most people have the awareness to know when they’re well or not though, and whether it’s an emergency. They know how to research and experiment with natural remedies and determine if they’re working.

Moms in particular, want to trust their instincts more. They want to be resourceful and feel empowered with their choices, just as our ancestors were. They know their children better than anyone else! It’s easy for them to use essential oils and they’re accepted well by their children. Experience shows them that essential oils work well to manage illness in the family and to boost their health.

5. There’s tons of research to support essential oil efficacy

Each year, hundreds of research studies validate essential oil efficacy. Here are just a few that show essential oils can improve one’s health naturally:

Certainly, the excitement behind essential oil use is backed by a compelling need! Do you want to try them out too? Visit my natural products page for more information on the oils I recommend. With over 20+ years of experience using them, I can help answer any questions you have as well!

Essential Oils, Kids Health, Natural pain relief, Natural Remedies, Women's health

Learn How To Make This Natural & Effective DIY Healing Salve

June 29, 2019 by Brandy Falcon No Comments

What do you do when your kids get cuts, scrapes, bites and bruises? How do you handle an injury at the gym or another acute, but non-emergency challenge? Essential oils are a better option for tissue repair than antibiotic ointments that encourage our modern day problem of antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Essential oils can also help with muscle repair and circulation, helping the body to heal itself. Learn how to make an effective DIY natural healing salve so you can be prepared! You’ll be using it more often than you think!

My body was put to the test last week when I pulled a calf muscle in tennis class that left me unable to walk normally for several days. Even though it was extremely painful, I knew that it wasn’t serious enough to see a doctor and that I had everything I needed to heal myself. One of the greatest tools I used in my natural health arsenal was application of therapeutic-grade essential oils 2-3 times a day in the form of a healing salve. It’s been a week and my calf is already operating at ~ 90%!

Salves can be infused with dried or fresh herbs. Or you can use essential oils, which are much quicker and easier to incorporate! Salves are especially soothing because nourishing carrier oils are used to keep the herbs on the skin longer so the plant medicine can penetrate through.

I suggest using beeswax pellets, which are less complicated to measure than the block beeswax I used for this recipe. If you must use beeswax blocks, you may want to use a cheese grater to shave it off in smaller pieces since cutting the block with a knife is very difficult and you risk hurting yourself (and your knife!)

Listed below are some of the best essential oils for your healing salve (choose 1-4 for this recipe). I would suggest you combine them based on function, not necessary how well they smell together! Only use therapeutic grade oils. See my essential oil website page for more information about the brand of oils I stand by.

Essential Oils That Support Healing

Lemongrass – muscle tension relief & repair
Marjoram – muscle tension relief, soothes nerves, promotes relaxation
Copaiba – calms nervous system, powerful antioxidant, supports a healthy inflammatory response (contains betacaryophyllene which binds directly to CB2 receptors like CBD oil but without the psychoactive properties).
Peppermint – helps resolve pain
Lavender – one of the most versatile oils, helps relax muscles, supports healthy inflammatory response & tissue repair.
Helichrysum – supports the body with blood clotting and tissue repair
Myrrh – soothing for the skin, an ancient health aid
Cypress – increases circulation of blood & energy

Basic Healing Salve Recipe

Ingredients:

8 oz. cold-pressed organic coconut oil
1 oz. beeswax (pellets are best)
1/8 tsp. vitamin E (optional)
40 drops therapeutic-grade essential oils (I used 10 drops each of Lemongrass, Marjoram, Peppermint, and Copaiba)
8 oz. glass jar

Instructions:

Place coconut oil and beeswax in a double boiler and melt completely under low heat. Remove from heat and add vitamin E (if using) and the essential oils. Immediately pour into the glass jar. Allow it to cool completely before putting on the lid. Store in a cool location, where it should last 1-3 years.

beeswax coconut oil essential vitaminE salve

Voila! It’s that easy. You will be so grateful that you took the 10 minutes to make this salve! I’m eager to hear how it works for you. Please let us all know in the comments! Well wishes to you all…

Emotional health, Essential Oils, Natural Remedies, Natural Sleep Support, Women's health

My 10 Favorite Essential Oils For Emotional Health

June 7, 2019 by Brandy Falcon No Comments

Essential oils have been used all over the world for thousands of years, though not as much in the United States. Fortunately, we’re now starting to see them increase in popularity. This is mainly because essential oils have strong emotional health benefits and are safer alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs.

I love teaching others about the emotional benefits of the oils because there’s usually an emotional and energetic imbalance at the root of most health challenges. For example, emotions can severely affect gut health and immunity (see graphic below for details).

From Essentialemotions.org – how emotions affect your body

Essential oils do not remove negative emotions and imbalances. However, they do give is one space and perspective to shift emotions.

“Stagnant anger, sadness, grief, judgement, and low self-worth cannot exist in the environment of balance and peace which essential oils help to create.”
(Emotions & Essential Oils: A Modern Resource for Healing 4th ed.)

Each person can perceive essential oils differently. Even so, based on chemistry, the feelings in the image below can be evoked most of the time:

In my experience, the essential oils listed below seem to have the greatest power to transform our emotional lives.

How to Use Essential Oils for Emotional Health

Apply 1 drop over the heart area, inside the wrists, or behind the ear. Make sure you dilute the essential oils with a carrier oil first for children or people with sensitive skin. (Scroll to bottom of article for appropriate dilution ratio).

Essential Oils for Emotional Well-Being

1. Arborvitae – The Oil Of Divine Grace

Arborvitae (the “tree of life”) has long been used for meditation and spiritual connection. It’s name actually means “to sacrifice”. Likewise, this oil encourages one to surrender to the natural flow of the universe, live with grace, and trust that everything will work out as it should.

2. Bergamot – The Oil of Self-Acceptance

Bergamot challenges unhelpful core beliefs. It can lift individuals out of despair, self-judgement, and hopelessness. As a result, it provides optimism, confidence, and encourages self-love.

3. Cilantro – The Oil of Releasing Control

Cilantro is great at detoxifying the physical body. It also detoxifies harsh emotions as well. Cilantro clears what no longer serves them, creating ease as heavy burdens are lifted.

4. Cypress – The Oil of Motion & Flow

Cypress creates more flexibility in the heart and mind. Also, it promotes trust, adaptability, and emotional growth. This helps one move beyond fear and apprehension.

5. Geranium – The Oil of Love & Trust

Geranium addresses a huge spectrum of emotional issues that can arise from difficult life circumstances. It teaches about the innate goodness in others, helps breed positivity and restore trust in the world. Moreover, it nourishes our inner child, connecting to unconditional self-love.

6. Helichrysum – The Oil for Pain

Helichrysum heals wounds and is a powerful first aid agent. Similar to Geranium, it can help with emotional wounds too like difficult life circumstances, addiction, and abuse. Also, it helps the heart heal, and one feels more courageous, hopeful, and determined.

7. Lavender – The Oil of Communication

Lavender encourages us to express our emotions in an open and honest way. It fosters respectful relationships with others, satisfying our need to be heard.

8. Lime – The Oil of Zest for Life

We’ve all experienced the uplifting fragrance of Lime! This is the strongest oil for dealing with feelings of apathy, grief, and discouragement. Lime can help one feel grateful for life.

9. Myrrh – The Oil of Mother Earth

Myrrh helps one to feel safe in the world and form healthy attachments. Thereby, it fosters a deeper connection with one’s mother, helps women grow into the role of a mother, and to love others deeply.

10. Thyme – The Oil of Releasing & Forgiving

Thyme vents suppressed, trapped feelings. It helps one process hate, rage, anger, and resentment. As a result, there’s more space for forgiveness, tolerance, patience, and understanding.

In conclusion, there are several essential oils that can help you, or someone you care about, deal with emotional challenges. Thankfully, the Earth provides us with these safe and effective tools! We can rely on them without having to worry about damaging side effects and addiction, as we do with pharmaceutical drugs.

Know that essential oils brands are not all the same! Certainly, use Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade oils which have undergone rigorous testing. These brands guarantee purity and potency. You get the desired effect and your money’s worth. You can visit my Essential Oil website page for my recommendations.

Do you use essential oils for emotional balance? Which oils work best for you? Let’s hear about it in the comments! If you enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends!

Emotional health, Meditation, Organic lifestyle, Seasons, Summer, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Whole Food Diet, Women's health

How to Stay Healthy This Summer According to Chinese Medicine

May 26, 2019 by Brandy Falcon No Comments

Summer is the season we associate with fun, relaxation, and carefree living. Our days are less structured, so our kids tend to stay up and sleep in later. We often become more lax with our diets too, as restaurants visited on family vacations don’t always have the best quality food. To stay well in summer, it’s important not to fall into unhealthy habits. Learn how to stay healthy in summer with these simple guidelines, so you can enjoy this season to the fullest!

How to Stay Healthy This Summer with TCM

1. Adjust Your Activity Level

The Yang energy of the sun reaches its maximum at the summer solstice on June 21. From there it starts a gradual decline until the winter Solstice in December.

What does that mean?

Since Yang is decreasing, Yin energy is increasing; we need to adjust our activity to become more Yin as well. Being “more Yin” means to embrace quiet, stillness, and our calm, receptive feminine nature.

I know, it doesn’t sound like summer. It’s supposed to be exciting!

Remember, this is a gradual change we’re adjusting to over the season. We can be lively in June and then start to ramp it down. By the end of August, hopefully we’re all grounded enough that kids can adjust well to the new school year and we can easily commit to our work life again.

If we ignore the cues from nature and go full force in the Summer Heat, we’re likely to burn out. This is bad new for our health in Fall, as we may get sick quickly and often without the restorative energy of Summer.

2. Get Some Morning Sun and Finish Activities Early

Part of adjusting your activity level is to also adjust the timing of your activities. If you live in a really hot climate, you already know how to do this well:

Get your workouts, errands, gardening, and other outdoor obligations done early.

You’ll need to resist the temptation to start the days slow. Trust me, you’ll be feeling great after absorbing that morning sun. It will elevate your mood and give you the energy you need to be productive. Then you can rest in the afternoon (which will become the hottest part of the day as summer progresses) completely guilt-free.

3. Eat These Foods to Stay Healthy in Summer

Summer is packed full of opportunities to eat out – restaurants, ballparks, amusement parks, family BBQs, etc. Since you may not always have control over these meals, it’s extra important to eat well at home.

Our digestion is stronger in summer. We’re now able to eat raw and cooling foods without gas and bloating.

These are the best foods to balance summer heat (from The Tao of Nutrition):

Everyone should do their best to refrain from these foods which may increase heat in the body and cause inflammation, dryness, constipation, and headaches.

processed sugar
alcohol
deep fried foods
caffeine (not too much chocolate either!)
hot, spicy foods

You may want to revisit: Have a Sweet Summer Without Excess Sugar

4. Be Cool and Refrain From Anger & Overexcitement

Anger and mania cause heat to rise internally according to Chinese Medicine philosophy. Accumulation of heat internally over a long period of time can cause disease. Anger and excitement are normal human emotions, of course, but it’s important to be mindful of what is causing them so we’re not caught up in these emotions continuously.

Meditation helps us become less reactive, and is a great practice to remain calm, cool, and level-headed. If you’re not ready to meditate, you can try to process your emotions through journaling or talking with a dear friend.

Chinese Medicine helps us to see the connection between us and nature. Living in harmony with the rhythm of nature and preventing disease is the basis of it’s philosophy. If you adhere to these guidelines, or at least try returning to them whenever you get off track with summer (& sometimes unhealthy) fun, then you’ll find that you maintain wellness longer.

If you enjoyed this article, please share with your friends! Let me know what you think of these summer health tips in the comments. Well wishes to you…

Essential Oils, Gut Health, Kids Health, Natural Remedies, Natural Sleep Support, Seasons, Summer, Supplements, Toxin-free living, Women's health

Essential Oils You’ll Need For A Naturally-Healthy Summer

June 11, 2018 by Brandy Falcon No Comments

Summer is a favorite season for many people, but it comes with certain challenges. Longer stretches of powerful sunlight, warm-weather pests, and eating unhealthy foods on family vacations are just some of things that can dampen one’s enthusiasm for summer fun. Be prepared with these essential oils for summer challenges to keep your family naturally healthy and happy all season long!

Essential Oil Remedies for Summer Challenges

Bug repellent

Do you have a family member who is a mosquito magnet? That would be me, in my family. So believe me, plant power is safer and equally effective at keeping them at bay than DEET-containing concoctions!

The recipe below incorporates dōTERRA Terrashield, which actually works fabulously on it’s own. The additional oils kick the power up a few notches.

essential oil bug repellent

Insect bites & stings

If pests get past your defenses, try these essential oil remedies to soothe the pain, itch, and swelling (from Modern Essentials, 8th edition):

Bee/Wasp/Hornet stings – After removing stinger, apply a cold compress of Roman Chamomile to the area for as long as possible.

Mosquito bites – apply lavender (diluted as recommended in chart at bottom) to the bites every few hours.

Spider bites – Dilute basil as recommended and apply as a cold compress to the area.

Tick bites – Don’t add oils to remove the tick or they may inject their toxin into the wound! Pull out the whole tick out close to the mouth without twisting. It’s wise to save the tick to get it, and the person bitten, examined by your doctor. Apply 1 drop of lavender to the wound every 5 minutes.

Sunburns

For minor sunburns, mix 10 drops of lavender with 1/4 cup water in a small spray bottle. Be sure to shake well so the oil is suspended in solution before spraying over the affected area.

Poison Oak

Though the red color on the “leaves of three” makes this plant more recognizable in the summer, avoiding it can still be tricky when it comes to kids and pets.

Rose, lavender, and Roman chamomile are all indicated for helping to relieve the itch. However, with conditions like this that ooze blisters, sometimes adding oil alone can spread the rash. You may want to look into combining the power of essential oils with a drying calamine lotion, or see an acupuncturist/Chinese herbalist for a drying solution like this one.

Indigestion

Eating heavily processed, greasy, and low quality foods at amusement parks or on the road can lead to an upset stomachs, gas, bloating, constipation, and/or diarrhea. DōTerra’s DigestZen blend can help immensely with all of these symptoms! Ginger, Fennel and peppermint are the main oils in this blend that help ease discomfort and can regulate the bowels. These oils have also been reported to help relieve food poisoning, stomach bugs, or motion sickness.

You may also consider increasing your whole food supplements to fill in any nutrition gaps, keeping your gut flora happy and your immune system working well while away from home.

Cooling down

Combine 2-3 drops of peppermint with 1/4 cup pure aloe vera and 1/4 cup witch hazel in a spray bottle. Shake well and mist body as needed to cool down which might be especially helpful at night to prevent restless sleep. This solution can also help easy sunburn discomfort.

Do you have any ideas for using essential oils in the Summer? Please let us know in the comments! And if you enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends!

essential oils for healthy summer kids

Dilution chart:

Emotional health, Meditation, Natural Sleep Support, Personal Development, Women's health, Yoga

Should You Develop A Home Yoga Practice?

May 11, 2018 by Brandy Falcon No Comments

There are so many options for yoga classes these days; in studios, gyms, schools, and even hotels. To be a serious and committed yogi doesn’t mean that you need to be attending a group class regularly though. You might discover that having a consistent home yoga practice is how you’ll fall in love with and increase your commitment to this healing art.

Practicing yoga in a group setting definitely has it’s benefits:

You’re likely to connect with like-minded people in yoga classes
Attending studio events is a great way to build community.
It’s also important to seek out a teacher that you resonate with, who is also accessible to you and the community.
Working with a teacher who gives you feedback and who points out unhelpful habits or imbalances is invaluable.
The energy of group classes can make practicing yoga fun & motivating.

Group classes are wonderful for so many reasons! Yet, they may not be enough to fulfill you.

Here’s 10 reasons why I prefer practicing yoga at home and why I encourage all my students to develop a home practice too.

10 Reasons Why You Should Do A Home Yoga Practice

1. It’s easier to be mindful

Mindfulness is the essence of yoga. It’s an inner process of observation and reflection; a state of being that is more difficult to connect with if there are outside distractions (that inevitably exist in group classes). At home, you have more control over the environment. It’s just you and your thoughts that you have to work with, which is challenging enough!

2. You can practice whatever you want, in your own timing

The pace of group classes is unique to the teacher’s style. Practicing at home, you can choose to stay less time, or longer if you’re like me and enjoy sinking into the experience each asana has to offer.

You can also spend more time in postures that will correct imbalances and do less of the ones that create them.

(For example, with my body, I’m stronger in my upper body to the point where I accumulate too much tension while my lower body is not as strong. I need to ground my energy too, so I’ve been doing sessions mainly of standing and seated postures with just headstand and shoulderstand as my upper-body-focused postures. Then I rest and meditate. I’m feeling much more balanced! It would be much harder to achieve this in a led class.)

3. There’s no self-consciousness or competition

It’s very challenging to practice in a group class without noticing what others are doing. Our minds habitually like to compare ourselves to others. While it’s good to notice and work with these habits, again, it’s just one more distraction. Practicing alone allows you to experience yoga without feeling superior or inferior to anyone.

4. You can create more time to relax deeply

Do you need to insert some restorative postures or extend your final rest in Savasana? You could do them in a group class too, but many people get too caught up with what everyone else is doing and fail to listen to cues from their bodies that are asking for more rest. You’re more likely to honor your body in a home practice.

5. You’ll develop greater discipline and commitment

No doubt, for most people it takes more discipline to adopt a home practice than to attend a group class where people might be expecting you. Your commitment will grow once you see how valuable your personal practice is though. Then, there’s no excuse to not do it! You can take your practice with you on vacation and can alter it when you’re sick. It becomes part of your daily health habits, just like brushing your teeth.

6. You’re likely to progress quicker

As I already mentioned, individualized attention means that you can focus on what you need and how much of it. Therefore, you’re going to see yourself progress much quicker, especially if you’re doing a personal practice everyday.

7. You can make your own schedule

To commit to a home practice, it’s nice to do it at a certain time of the day so you’re less likely to blow it off. I try to do mine early in the morning while my son is still asleep. It feels good to have exercised my body a little and have a bank of mindfulness to pull from for the rest of the day.

8. You’ll model self-care for your children

I know, it’s hard to carve out time to practice when you have young children in the home. Like me, you may prefer to do it early in the morning while they’re sleeping. But, I also enjoy doing a restorative practice at night as well, with my son near by.

It’s very important for kids to see you practicing yoga. You can establish boundaries with them so they learn to respect your time and space. They will see the importance you’re placing on self-care and will teach them a lot about how to care for themselves deeply as well.

9. You can meet & respect your inner teacher

Teachers can help you see certain aspects of yourself that are not apparent, but it always comes back to awareness, opening your mind, and accepting all that you are in order to meet your true self.

With a home practice, you’ll learn to look inside for guidance and trust what comes up. You start looking to yourself for answers instead of assuming that you need permission from others or that others have more wisdom than you. This is absolutely not true! No one knows you as you (can potentially) know yourself. This is precisely why I recommend that my own students have their own practice.

I love this quote from Rolf Sovik in his article Recognizing the Guru:

When students lean too heavily on the compassion of the teacher, another aspect of the guru’s nature is revealed. Teachers nurture the disciplines of practice. If our dependency becomes too strong, a teacher will often awaken our practice by stepping back. The Buddha put it very simply when he said, “Light thine own lamp.”

10. You’re more likely to experience Yoga

There are many definitions of Yoga.

It’s the…

…cessation of the fluctuations of the mind (Yoga Sutra)

…yoking or joining together of the many aspects of the Self

…ability to evolve spiritually from where we are now

All are possible, but only when we can commit to being alone with ourselves every day. A home yoga practice is how you can develop this degree of self-love.

How does this sound to you? Ready to get started with your home yoga practice? Check out these resources to get you going!

Please post any questions you have in the comments! If you enjoyed this article, please share with a friend! Well wishes to you…

Emotional health, Essential Oils, Natural pain relief, Natural Remedies, Pregnancy, Toxin-free living, Women's health

Essential Oils To Help You Manage Your Menstrual Cycle

March 15, 2018 by Brandy Falcon No Comments

Menstruation is such fine-tuned wonder in women’s physiology. In this article, I teach you about using essential oils for menstruation. They’ll help you stay in touch with your body as you regulate your periods and avoid harmful medications.

Why Support Menstruation Naturally?

Regular periods with little-to-no-discomfort signify good health and fertility. Why don’t we celebrate this dance between hormones that help create potential new life? Yes, there is the inconvenience and possible mess. But the main reason most women dread their period is because pain and other symptoms of imbalance accompany it.

Treating symptoms with conventional medicine is challenging. Medical doctors do not have answers for women experiencing difficult periods other than birth control pills and pain medications. Both types of pharmaceuticals have major, negative, long-term side effects. It’s always best to consult with your doctor first to rule out any serious issues. Usually though, natural medicine is safer and more effective.

Essential Oils for Menstruation

For those seeking to manage the mild symptoms of menstruation naturally at home, essential oils are a fantastic option to explore. Below are the oils you’ll want to keep handy to manage the most common complaints. They’ll help during your flow, and also during the premenstrual phase and ovulation as well.

The essential oils can be used topically on the area of discomfort (3-4 drops diluted in ~ 1 T of carrier oil). They can also be diffused to help balance emotions that are often at the root of many physical complaints. Feel free to blend them together too!

Geranium

(Pelargonium graveolens)

A sweet, harmonizing oil, geranium has been used since ancient times for regulating menses and for menorrhagia (excessive blood loss during menstruation). It continues to be a valuable oil for PMS symptoms such as agitation, nervous tension, cramping, headaches, backaches, stressed-adrenals, etc. It can help resolve endometriosis as well.

Try this technique for painful or irregular periods:

Spread a drop of geranium on your foot arches, layer with castor oil, and cover with a sock. This covers important points in the Kidney and Spleen acupuncture channels on the foot that help regulate menstruation. The castor oil has an invigorating effect, helping to move blood & ease stagnation (which shows up as pain).

Mild cases: apply 2x/day for 10-14 days, then 1x/day for 30 more days
Moderate: apply 2x/day for 30 days, then 1x/day for 2 more months
Severe: apply 2x/day for 3-4 months, then 1x/day for 4-5 more months

Clary Sage

(Salvia sclarea)

Clary sage is regulating oil that is known for calming nerves and cooling inflammation. It helps with dysmenorrhea, PMS, headaches, frigidity, and depression. It also soothes the GI organs, resolving bloating and gas.

Ylang Ylang

(Cananga odorata)

Ylang ylang is a sedative for the nervous system, yet a stimulant for the circulatory system. So, it’s very calming, yet invigorating for the blood and musculature. It relieves tension, improve libido, regulate hormonal balance, and can lift a woman’s spirit.

True Lavender

(Lavandula angustifolia)

Everyone is familiar with lavender, as it’s considered one of most versatile essential oils available. It can help a woman immensely with menstrual discomfort. It’s indicated for PMS, headaches, migraines, cramps, depression, nervous tension, insomnia, and even gas.

Some of you may have heard that lavender has estrogenic effects and should be avoided by men. That is a myth addressed in this article by well-known Aromatherapist Robert Tisserand: Lavender Oil Is Not Estrogenic

Sweet Fennel

(Foeniculum vulgare)

Lavender does not have estrogenic effects, but fennel DOES. It can actually increase milk supply in mothers, is valuable in the transition to menopause, but should be avoided by pregnant women.

Women experiencing amenorrhea (skipped menstrual periods) as well as dysmenorrhea benefit from Fennel. It also helps with gastrointestinal problems many women experience during ovulation and menstruation such as constipation, stomachaches, nausea, and flatulence.

Roman Chamomile

(Chamaemelum nobile)

Roman chamomile is one of the safest essential oils, yet it is also potent and has a huge therapeutic range.

It helps cycling women with dysmenorrhea, headaches, migraines, nervous tension, and also with calming the mind and spirit. Thereby, it helps support a restful night sleep.

If you experience difficult periods, I hope you’ll consider using essential oils as a natural remedy to ease your discomfort. Perhaps you can appreciate this special time in your life even more. Essential oil brands differ greatly in quality and thereby efficacy though. You can view my recommendations here.

I’m eager to hear how essential oils are helping you manage your menses! Let me know if you have any questions in the comments! And if you enjoyed this article, please share with friends who can use this advice as well.

essential oils for menstruation

Chronic Disease, Emotional health, Gut Health, Personal Development, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Women's health

Do You Need An Attitude Adjustment?

March 9, 2018 by Brandy Falcon No Comments

Do you need an attitude adjustment?

I think we all do. Our attitudes to life affect our emotions, and many of us don’t see the connection between our emotions and general health.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), emotions and our vital energy (Qi) are the bridge between our physical and spiritual well-being. We know that many physical diseases actually have an emotional imbalances at the root.

In Yoga, we investigate the emotions in deeper meditative practices to create inner harmony. In turn, we create physical ease. This gives space for the mind to open up to profound spiritual experiences, connecting us to others, and to the beauty of life in general.

Insight from these Eastern practices is desperately needed here in the West where:

psychotherapy is still considered “quackery” to some
we complain endlessly about our health, circumstances, & politics, yet don’t take action to improve situations or try new approaches
we like to place blame for our misfortune
many have poverty consciousness and an unhealthy relationship with money
sarcasm and cynicism are considered funny and cool personality traits
stress and busyness are valued and intimately linked to our self-worth

How Our Attitudes Create Stress, Disease, and Disconnection

Much of our attention on health is with diet and physical health. You may have the cleanest diet, and yet, if you’re caught up in the rat race, your body’s stress response can keep you in the sympathetic “fight or flight” mode. This emotional imbalance increases adrenaline, cortisol, and other stress hormones. They flood your system, lowering beneficial gut bacteria populations, and proper immune response.

This can lead to:

chronic pain
recurrent illnesses
poor sleep
gastric distress
allergies
high blood pressure
heart disease
unintentional weight gain
unintentional weight loss
depression/anxiety
memory problems
low libido
fertility issues

Stress is relative and is a personal habitual reaction to stimuli. We can all be in the same traffic jam, yet have a different response because of our different inner attitudes and awareness of how we’re reacting.

“An emotion in excess, an inappropriate reaction, a self-destructive passion, an emotional response out of proportion to a situation, or a single automatic habitual response to many different life events all can be signs that the human being has lost his or her capacity for harmonious reactivity.”

– Ted J. Kaptchuk, O.M.D. from The Web That Has No Weaver

Manic elation, worry, sadness, anger, and fear are all normal in the human landscape. But if we hold them in, allow them to fester, or even let them become a major part of our personality, they can create disease from the TCM perspective.

Sun Si-miao (590-682 C.E.), a great physician of the Tang dynasty wrote that people suffer illness “because they do not have love in their life and are not cherished.” I think this notion is still relevant today, but that it’s self-love that’s lacking in many people and we have a hard time cherishing our own body, mind, and spirit which causes suffering.

How Do You Change Your Attitude and Achieve Health?

Yoga, Meditation, and TCM are wonderful ways to work with the energy of emotions to help one heal on all levels, but the person receiving still needs to participate.

If you’re laying on the table receiving acupuncture, you’re yielding to the treatment, trusting that energy is flowing where it needs to. Following the treatment plan provided by your practitioner is also a way you’re participating in your health by adapting to a positive lifestyle change.

In a yoga class, you’re working with a personal intention, paying attention to emotional cues that are linked with your breathing, and not just going through the physical motions.

Participating in your emotional well-being means that we adjust our inner attitude to breed:

Positivity
Hope
Trust
Curiosity
Equanimity
Joy
Insight

These are the “higher vibrations” we were referring to in Chakra Meditation: Radiate Out What You Want To Attract.

Adopting a Positive Attitude is a Conscious Choice

If we’re constantly evaluating how we’re feeling and pause often before reacting, we can see how we have some control over the outcome. We can then take responsibility for that outcome.

I just want to share a personal example here to drive my point home…

Yesterday I had the most amazing morning.

After sleeping in, I meditated and expressed gratitude for one more day of life. I took my son to a playgroup at the beach while I worked at a café a little down the road. It was a productive, yet relaxed day. On the way home, my son and I had some lovely conversations. I vowed to myself that I was going to keep this content feeling going throughout the day.

So later on when I discovered that a bird had crapped all over the side of my car, or when I had to deal with disorganized parking at gymnastics, and then with slow traffic on the way home from that, I did not take any of it personally. I did not take on any physical tension.

Today was a different story.

I had to wake early to get ready to teach a yoga class. People were expecting me to be on time and to be creative. I snapped at my son a few times as I was trying to get him out the door. Tension started to build in my body because I wasn’t feeling prepared for class. Luckily, there was some residue from my brief meditation that made me pause. I remembered the day before and knew that it was possible to stay calm again, even though I had more obligations. As long as I stayed calm, I knew creativity would spring from that.

Sure enough, I taught a pretty good class and the rest of the day went well too!

So believe me, you can experience more health and joy in your life if you make the conscious choice. Meditation, Yoga, TCM, psychotherapy, hypnotism, and aromatherapy can all give us a greater perspective on our emotions, inner attitudes, energy, and holistic health. They help us see more clearly how we need to change to release limited beliefs that keep us sick and disconnected.

Can you imagine what the world would be like if we all had this awareness? The change in that direction starts with you…

If you enjoyed this article, please share with your friends! I’d love to engage with you in the comments as well. Best wishes to you…

Boost Energy, Emotional health, Meditation, Personal Development, Women's health

Clear Away Stress With These Qigong Exercises {Video}

March 2, 2018 by Brandy Falcon No Comments

Did you know there is a way to experience the benefits of acupuncture on your own without any special tools or knowledge, by simply using movement and your imagination? It’s called Qigong, and it can be key in staying well season to season. Try the Qigong video below to clear stress from your day and to initiate healing!

Qigong or “Life energy skill” is one of the 5 branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It’s understood that all transformations in our life happen under the influence of Qi/energy: birth, aging, and death of everything within our world including humans, animals, water, wind, forests, deserts, rocks, etc.

Ancient masters developed Qigong techniques to help people live in harmony with their environment. They combined breathing techniques with movement, creative visualization, and intention to improve health and personal power.

Just like the healthy habit of purging your home of clutter before bringing in new furniture & other items, the same is true in our approach to self-regulating Qigong practices. You must clear stagnant and stale energy first, then add in new energy and regulate it so it’s smooth. You may experience stagnant energy as pain in the body, uncomfortable emotions, and a restless mind – what we also call STRESS!

“When living things start to lose their Qi, they lose their vitality”

– Jerry Alan Johnson, Ph.D. from Chinese Medical Qigong Therapy, Vol. 1

In the video below, I lead you through a very simple clearing Qigong protocol that is especially useful when you’re needing to wipe away the stress from your day. And if you’re interested in learning more Qigong practices, this protocol should be done first before including any others.

</p><br /> <div>I hope you are able to integrate this practice into your daily routine! If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments…</div><br /> <div>Consider <a href=”https://www.falconhealingarts.com/free-resources-for-parents”>subscribing</a> to our mailing list to receive weekly wellness articles like this one, in addition to the essential guide &quot;<a href=”https://www.falconhealingarts.com/free-resources-for-parents”>10 Ways to Boost Your Child’s Health &amp; Maintain Your Sanity!</a>&quot;.</div><br /> </div>

I hope you are able to integrate this practice into your daily routine! If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments…

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