The Coronavirus Pandemic and the social distancing required to slow the spread, forced schools to close, leaving parents to care for their kids at home for an uncertain amount of time whether they want to or not.  Are you one of these moms?  I know that you’re probably feeling fear from both the viral threat and for homeschooling your child for the first time.  Trust me though, as a homeschooling parent of fours years, I know you can do this!  Here’s my 5 tips on how to stay sane homeschooling amid the Coronavirus Pandemic.  This homeschooling mom encouragement will boost both your immunity and self confidence! 

Before you read my tips or watch me talk about them in the video below, you may want to get my free stress-relieving acupressure guide which will help both you and your child with this transition!  These six acupressure points not only relieve tension and stress, but will help you all sleep better at night which in turn will keep your immunity strong!

5 Tips for Dealing With Your Fears – Homeschooling Mom Encouragement Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic

Focus On Self-care and Wellness as a New Homeschool Mom

You’re going to have more time, so it’s best to place your energy where it counts the most! Self-care should be your main focus and will help you better serve your family, as well as bolster your body from infection.

This virus, as is the case with other viruses, is opportunistic. It can only infect you if you are weak. Support your health and your family’s by:

• Prioritizing better sleep – It’s still a good idea to have an early bedtime. But now that you’re homeschooling, let the family sleep in!
• Establishing a relaxed schedule – There’s no need to rush your transitions, which can create stress and diminish immunity.
• Creating alone time – Being home with your kids can be intense. Make sure you still have some alone time, even if it means giving your child a screen to entertain them. Your emotional health is very important right now.
• Adopting a home yoga practice – Yoga can support your health on all levels. Try this yoga class video that will help you relieve tension as you wake in the morning and help you start the day with ease!
• Supplementing vitamins and minerals – You should be getting healthy doses of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin D in your diet (and ideally Vitamin D from the sun), but chances are you won’t be getting enough from your food, even if you’re eating whole, organic foods. Find some supplements you like, or try my recommendations here.
• Feeding your gut beneficial bacteria – Gut health is the basis of your immunity. Read about it’s importance, how it’s damaged and how it’s supported here. Basically, you’ll want to be eating more fermented foods and supplementing with probiotics, but it’s also important to avoid stress, sugar, and pharmaceutical drugs which all diminish your gut health!

This wellness kit comes with the vitamins I use as well as digestive enzymes, probiotics, tension-relieving lotion, and mood enhancing essential oils that will support everyone’s body, mood, and mental focus!

Tend To Your Home and Family as you Homeschool

I know it’s hard to stay home, especially this time of year! It was easy in Winter when the energy was low and was a natural time to rest and reflect. But in Spring, it’s natural to be more active and energetic. You will simply have to channel that energy into tending your family and your home.

Here’s some ideas:

• Make all of your meals – Avoid processed food and start making healthy meals with whole foods, if you’re not doing so already. Ask your kids to help you so you get support and they can learn important life skills. Not sure how to get your kids to eat whole foods? Check out my article Practical Dietary Advice for Happy and Healthy Kids.
• Establish a green cleaning routine – Switch out your toxic household products and clean with natural, essential oil based cleansers instead. Have complete control over the ingredients by using DIY recipes. (We’ll focus on Green Cleaning in April – in the meantime ask me if you need any suggestions or recipes).
• Organize your pantries
• Clean out your refrigerators
• Wash your walls & windows
• Clean your oven
• Work in your garden or establish one
• Hike in open, outside places with your family since fresh air and sunshine are important for general health

Notice that most of these suggestions circle back to self-care?

Educate Yourself As You Educate Your Child

If you’ve never homeschooled your child, it’s the perfect time to learn how! Believe me, you can do this. Just remember not to get caught in a common new homeschool mom trap of trying to re-create the school environment at home.

Your relationship is much different than the one your kids had with their teacher. They have your love. Be lighthearted in your approach, relax and trust that they are learning, even when you’re doing fun stuff like cooking and cleaning together!

There are tons of homeschool resources that you can Google. For online courses, I suggest looking into Outschool.com. For math, we love Prodigygame.com and also use Singapore Math workbooks. We do science kits from melscience.com. The rest is very personal for my family. My son reads alone for a portion of the day, but we also read to him classical child history books and fun fiction. For writing, he does copy work from the novels he’s reading or he journals.

You will need to figure out what works for your family. This is part of the learning process and it can be a really fun discovery! Or see if you can just follow the same curriculum your school was using if your child does well with it.

This can also be a great time for YOU to learn new skills that you can be refining while your kids are doing their studies. Take online classes yourself. Maybe you can explore ways to earn income online. I love working from home! I can still explore my passion of connecting families with natural health resources and helping them be healers in their own home. It’s possible for me to do this while staying home with my son and contributing to my family’s income. If you want to learn more about my business and becoming one of my partners, read on here.

Change Your Mindset – Embrace Being a Homeschool Mom!

Again, you can do this! Homeschool moms need more encouragement in the beginning. Much of your confidence is going to come with time as you see your family thrive with more relaxed learning and lifestyle habits. But it’s also extremely important that you change your attitude and mindset too.

Remember what you’re trying to create for your family. If you remain reluctant to homeschool and complain all the time to your friends, then this will be a miserable experience for you. One of the many positive aspects of social distancing with the Coronavirus pandemic is that you can heal your relationship with your family as you spend time together.

My son was in public school until halfway through Kindergarten when he begged to be pulled out. I was already aware that he was having emotional problems and would do anything to protect him. The dynamic was completely different when we started hanging out with homeschool families vs. when I would hang out with the public school moms.

The biggest difference I’ve noticed in our homeschool groups: we, parents, love hanging out with our kids. We don’t complain about our kids. We understand that this is a privilege to teach them and shape their lives based on family love & values. My love for my son is what fuels my confidence. Each day he grows I feel validated that we’re making the right choice for him. It’s that positive mindset shift that makes our homeschool journey a success.

Adopt A Gratitude Practice – Everything Has a Silver Lining

Adopting a gratitude practice with also help you with the mindset shift I suggest above. Everyday upon waking, I recommend sitting up in bed and thinking about the things you’re grateful for in your life. Be grateful for everything and everyone who supports you. You can do this meditation too anytime you’re feeling that you’re caught in negativity or fear.

Try not to get caught up in the fear of the Coronavirus pandemic. If you’re taking necessary distancing precautions and boosting your health with the guidelines I shared above, chances are you will remain healthy or will recover quickly. I also hope that this confidence in taking care of yourself and family spills over into your role as a homeschooling mom. Wellness practices and homeschooling are complementary skills!

If you enjoyed this post, share this homeschooling mom encouragement with your friends! And let me know if you have any questions in the comments below. Stay well!

Asthma is on the rise in this country for many reasons.  Chances are, you or a close family member is suffering from this chronic disease right now or will be soon.  I’m sharing with you today, 10 acupressure points for asthma which can be used as a long-term, natural approach to managing asthma attacks and help support your respiratory health.

An alternative approach to asthma is needed, since unfortunately, steroid medications used to control attacks suppress the immune system.  This means that asthmatics are more likely to come down with colds and other infections, which then aggravates their asthma.  So they’re stuck in a cycle of sickness with medications that are actually making them sicker.  In integrative approach to care is needed so one doesn’t have to be as dependent on steroids and can get ahead of their illness to improve health.

I’ve already written about how Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can be one of the best integrative approaches for treating asthma.  TCM is great for kids too!  Asthma sufferers have reported that TCM treatments result in:

• Symptom relief – deeper breathing, less wheezing, greater physical endurance
• A decrease in asthma attacks
• Less dependence on medications

I highly recommend working with a TCM practitioner who can give you personalized treatments and advice.  They will still ask that you do your part to treat yourself at home.  This acupressure protocol can be one of your best tools!

Before you learn these 10 acupressure points for asthma, you may also want to grab my acupressure guide for stress.  You can download it here for FREE.

In the stress relieving acupressure guide I share 6 other acupressure points that can help you relieve tension and help you sleep at night, which everyone needs!

Acupressure Points for Asthma

I am not a medical doctor and this is not medical advice. It is advice meant to empower you to care for yourself and your family at home just like our ancestors used to. It will also build your confidence to talk with your medical provider about weaning off medications when you become healthier with acupressure and natural medicine.

You don’t need anything special for acupressure – just clean hands. If you’d like, you can enhance the effects of acupressure by using therapeutic grade essential oils topically on the points as you press. For asthma, I suggest using Frankincense (boosts cellular health), doTERRA Breathe blend (opens & relaxes airways), and/or Lavender (anti-inflammatory).

Press each point for 30-90 seconds, depending on the age of the person you’re working on (hold longer, the older the patient). You can also round rub each point, instead of holding your fingers still. See the video above for the best demonstration.

Lung 1 & 2

Kidney 23 & 25

Ren 17

Urinary Bladder 13 (Lung point)

Urinary Bladder 23 (Kidney point)

Stomach 40

Kidney 3

Lung 9

I’m eager to hear how you did with acupressure! It may take some time to notice a difference, and you shouldn’t expect your asthma to completely disappear. First, you’ll notice you’re getting sick less. Then you’ll have less asthma attacks, wheezing, and chest tightness. Again, this is a long-term solution – wellness is something we need to be working on everyday!

Having a nourishing morning routine is a great first step to developing healthy habits.  In this post and video, I’ll be teaching you all about oil pulling, an Ayurvedic practice that is known for improving your oral health.  But it has even broader benefits for whole body health, if you do it regularly. Learn about the benefits of oil pulling and how to do it here!

All this month I’ve been sharing my morning rituals with you, including a helpful meditative yoga practice and a pranayama breathing technique.  Oil pulling is another useful practice you can add to the morning that is easy to do and only takes 10-20 minutes (and can be done while you’re multitasking with something else!).  Seriously, there is nothing to lose and only health to gain, so I hope you’ll give it a try!

If you’d like to sandwich your day with self-care, consider downloading my FREE Self-Acupuncture guide too. These 6 acupressure points will help you manage your stress and relieve any tension in the body in just 10 minutes. It’s fabulous to do before bed! Get it here:

What are the Benefits of Oil Pulling?

Oil pulling is a panchakarma, one of the Ayurvedic cleansing techniques that is quite popular here in the U.S. because of its oral health benefits.

People have found that swishing their mouths with sesame and/or coconut oil reduces gum inflammation, bad breath, and helps to whiten teeth.  This is because the oils help to manage the populations of plaque-forming bacteria in the mouth.  

There’s even broader benefits than just supporting healthier tissue in the mouth. Streptococcus mutans, the main bacteria that causes problems in the mouth, can also cause plaque in the arteries, heart, lungs, brain, and can affect blood sugar metabolism. These problems start in the mouth with S. mutans getting into the bloodstream as the gums bleed from infection.  So when you’re oil pulling, you’re preventing the spread of this bacteria through the body.

Oil pulling is also a better choice at cleaning the mouth than using conventional mouthwash. Most mouthwashes contain alcohol which kills ALL bacteria in the mouth, even the good bacteria. We need beneficial bacteria to protect our gut lining! These bacteria help form a solid defense against other microorganisms and are the major part of our immune system.

Coconut oil, sesame oil, as well as several essential oils, have a chelating effect in the body.  They bind to and pull out fat-soluble toxins like heavy metals & pesticides that accumulate in our body. Therefore, oil pulling can be an important detoxifying protocol that we could all find very useful since our environment is becoming increasingly toxic.

How to Oil Pull with Coconut, Sesame, and Essential Oils

Let’s teach you how to oil pull! 

You’ll need:

• 1 T Coconut or sesame seed oil (1/2 T of each if combining)
• 1-3 drops dōTERRA therapeutic grade essential oils (I recommend Spearmint, Celery Seed, On Guard, or Turmeric)

Add the essential oils to the coconut and/or sesame seed oil on a spoon or in a cup. Put contents in your mouth, chew, press through teeth with your tongue, and swish in between all your teeth for 10-20 minutes.

When you’re done, be sure to spit out the oils into the trash. DO NOT SPIT THE OILS INTO YOUR SINK or you may create problems with your plumbing.

That’s it! Your oil pulling experience is done. It may take some practice and to get used to keeping the oils in your mouth without swallowing. You can always start out with a smaller about of oils until you get used to it.

What do you think of oil pulling now that you know the benefits and how easy it is to do? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!

Do you feel achy and stiff every morning too?  Sometimes I wake up sore because of the way I slept. Certainly diet and age play a part in this physical discomfort too.  But oftentimes it’s the result of  emotional and mental stress that I experienced days before.  If you’re like me, then it’s important for you to relieve this pain as soon as you notice it.  You don’t want to carry it into the rest of your day! Check out this Meditative Yoga for Stiffness video which guides you to release tension consciously, mindfully addressing the root of pain and discomfort.

Remember that it’s the approach to your yoga practice that enables it to transform your body, heart, and mind.  Please let yourself have a deeper experience and prioritize your breathing, which brings more life to your being.

To prepare for the practice, make sure you’re well hydrated and are wearing comfortable clothes.  A sticky mat, two blocks, and a strap are helpful.  If you’d like to include acupressure in with your session, you can download my stress-relieving acupressure guide.  These acupressure points are also great to use in the evening before bed which can also help avoid stiffness first thing in the morning.

Download the guide for FREE by clicking here:

Meditative Morning Yoga Practice

I hope you enjoyed this guided Meditative Yoga for Stiffness video. Please let me know how it felt for you by leaving a comment here or on YouTube. Also, let me know if you’d like to see more yoga videos in the future, in addition to my other holistic wellness ones. Well wishes to you…

Feeling low?  Apathetic?  Uninspired?  Aromatherapy can be a safe and effective form of natural medicine that will help you feel better quick.  Read on and watch the video below to learn which mood lifting essential oils will help you fight the blues and support holistic wellness.

The essential oils mentioned in this post and video are great to use in my stress-relieving self-acupressure guide. It will help you relieve tension, stress, and promote healing in body, heart, and mind. Click below to download for FREE.

How Essential Oils Affect Emotions and Mood

Emotions are actually information carrying molecules that bind to cell receptors in the brain and throughout the body.  There’s three places where this neurological processing occurs: the mind, the heart and the gut.

Here’s some interesting facts that you may not know:

The great majority of the processing that occurs in the mind is subconscious!  And most of the neurological pathways go from the heart to the mind – not the other way around.  Also, 90% of the feel-good chemicals like serotonin reside in the gut.

When we’re feeling down, at least one of these areas is not being fed sufficiently.  In addition to feeling anxious or depressed, we might also have head tension, confusion, apathy, lack of compassion, and painful, irregular digestion.

Essential oils, similar to emotions, are also information carrying molecules that bind to cell receptors in the brain and throughout the body. They balance the emotional responses in the brain, heart, and gut, allowing us to function better on all levels in life.

It’s simply biochemistry! Though everyone is different, in general these are the essential oils that match up with the emotions we’re trying to create, based on their chemical makeup.

My 4 Favorite Mood Lifting Essential Oils

There are four main essential oils and blends that I turn to whenever I’m needing a shift in mood and perspective. These are what I diffuse in my yoga classes and use on clients too, with fabulous results.

1. Lime Essential Oil

2. Peppermint Essential Oil

3. Elevation Blend Essential Oil

4. Adaptiv Blend Essential Oil

How to Use Essential Oils to Improve Your Mood

The quickest way to affect your mood with essential oils is by smelling them. When we experience an aroma, it’s perceived by the limbic area of the brain which is the oldest part of the brain. It’s also the place where we hold emotions and memories. So this is the place where we need to make a shift.

Experience essential oils aromatically by:

• smelling directly from the bottle
• putting 1-2 drops in your hands, rubbing them together before smelling them
• using an essential oil diffuser (extends the experience for 1-12 hrs depending on the settings)
• using diffuser jewelry like lava stone pendents (lasts 1-2 days)

Of course essential oils can’t take away the challenging experiences we face in life. But they do help us respond to grief, anxiety, and stress with grace and with the awareness that the intensity of the feelings will pass.

If you’re experiencing severe depression, it’s wise to seek the help of a medical doctor. Essential oils can always help, but in extreme cases, you’ll likely need more support.

You should also know that there’s a huge difference of quality among essential oils on the market. It’s important that you use a brand you trust. I only use and recommend dōTERRA Essential Oils since their commitment to quality and purity is unmatched in the industry. If you use lower quality essential oils, which are often synthetic or diluted with alcohol, you will not get the same results managing your emotional health.

I hope that you’re feeling more confident about using essential oils for uplifting your mood! I would love to know if you’re already using essential oils for emotional support or if you are eager to try what I’ve shared with you here. Please comment below with the oils that you find most useful. Well wishes to you…

This Winter Solstice meditation is a guided, relaxing mindfulness practice that will help you rest in the Winter darkness and renew your being with light on all levels. It’s also an opportunity to let go of what is no longer serving you, allowing space for focused New Year intention, and a rebirth of ideas to achieve your life goals.

Meditation Preparation

To set up, you’ll want to find a place that is dark and quiet.  You may want to light a candle to represent the light inside of you, that creative spark that we’ll be stoking.

Essential oils can help calm your mind and create more focus.  For this meditation I’m using Frankincense and Lemongrass.  Frankincense helps lessen depressed and anxious feelings which tend to be more pronounced this time of year, prompted by the darkness.  Lemongrass helps to clear negativity and uplift your mood.  You can place 1 drop of each in your hands with a dollop of carrier oil and anoint your temples, heart space, and soles of the feet.

Have a pen and paper or a journal nearby where you can write down any insight that comes as we sit.

Also, you can briefly use the acupressure points in my free self-acupressure guide to help you relax. As you release tension, you’ll be better able to focus on the meditation process. You can download the guide below.

Winter Solstice Meditation Instruction

Center Your Attention

Come into a comfortable seated position on the floor or on a chair.  If you’re using a chair, make sure your feet are fully planted on the ground.

Closing your eyes, take several deep breaths, consciously focusing your mind on the present moment.

Exhale out through the mouth to let go of physical tension.  Once you’re feeling settled, allow the mouth to stay closed.

Center your attention by following the movement of the breath. Inhale through the nose. Feel the breath moving through the trachea, filling the lungs, and feel the diaphragm pressing down toward the pelvis, grounding you.  Stay energetically grounded as you exhale and feel the breath moving up and out through the nose.  Watch the ebb and flow of the breath.

Now see if you can make each part of the breath deeper, and longer.  Lengthen the spaces in between breaths, noticing any emotions that come up in the stillness.  It’s common to feel fear when empty, the same feeling that many people have in Winter.

We are microcosms of nature and energetic beings animated by breath.  Consider this, each breath is keeping you alive.  We need both the inhalation AND the exhalation, the life giving breath and the clearing release which creates more space for the next breath.

What Can You Release in Order to Create?

Now as you continue to breath deeply, let’s see how we can relate to the other aspects of ourselves.  What can we let go of?  What can we let rest in the darkness or even die away in order to make space for something more new, more healthy, or even more exciting?

Feel the full volume of the body pulsing with breath.  Feel it’s fullness, emptiness, and the flow in between.  Consider the health of your body and as you ask this question, see what comes up in this space:

“What habits can I let go of that will help my body be more healthy and vibrant?”

Sense the answer in your body.

Now connect in with your heart, your capacity to love and relate to others.  Some relationships served a purpose in the past, but are no longer helpful. Ask yourself the following, or change the wording to fit what you would like to create in your heart instead:

“What relationships can I let go of in order to feel more emotionally spacious and loving.” 

Watch the movement of the mind…

The mind can be the most challenging to shift. Many people are wired for self-criticism and negativity that their belief systems are very limited. Once your open to changing your beliefs, you have the greatest potential to create more happiness in your life. Ask yourself:

“What habits or beliefs can I let go of, can I let die, in order to experience more clarity of mind?”

Give yourself some time to let any thoughts bubble to the surface in answer to this question.

Letting go of the previous attachments in the body, heart, and mind may get you closer to spiritual connection. To explore further, you can ask yourself:

“What can I let go of to experience a deeper sense of myself, to connect with spirit”

Feel into your wholeness.  Notice the warmth inside you, imagining a spark of hope in the heart that grows to a flame, and then to beams of light radiating out of your body in every direction.

Remember that this light sprung from darkness. We needed to let go and experience a symbolic death to some aspects of our lives in order to rebirth new experiences. We needed to visit the past and make peace with it in order to imagine new possibilities for the future.

Slowly Widen Your Awareness

Return your awareness to the breath moving through the central channel of the body.

Open up your ears to what you hear, notice what you’re tasting, smelling, and feeling against your skin.  Finally, gently open your eyes.

Take some time here to make sure your attention is balanced, inside and out.  Write down anything that came up for you during this meditation.  This is a special time for reflection, but of course this is appropriate to do anytime of the year, not just the Winter Solstice. You can repeat this simple meditation practice whenever you’re feeling stuck and that you need to make a major shift in one layer of your being. When we meditate, we’re tapping into our innate wisdom that’s beyond the mind’s comprehension. It’s this place where we receive the most helpful guidance for living a joyful life.

Did you enjoy this meditation? Do you already meditate? Is it for relaxation or to receive guidance or other motivation? I’d love to know about it in the comments!

You may be wondering how to boost your immunity naturally so you can stay healthy longer and enjoy the things you love!  Maybe you’re also tired of getting sick all the time.  Pharmaceutical and over-the-counter drugs never get to the root of your illness and have serious side effects.  So, natural preventative medicine and home remedies are a more healthy approach.

I help my family and clients increase their health with these 5 tips below.  If you follow them, you’ll also have a stronger immune system and be able to prevent infections in your body and in your home!

5 Tips for Boosting Your Immunity Naturally

Tip #1 – Get Plenty of Sleep

To strengthen your immune system, you’ll need to prioritize getting plenty of good-quality sleep.  When we sleep, our bodies are able to restore strength and re-set cell function.   Therefore, it’s one of the most important aspects of boosting immunity.

It’s wise to get to bed by 10:00pm which is when our bodies secrete melatonin, a regulating sleep hormone, naturally.  If getting to sleep or staying asleep is a problem for you, you can check out my previous blog posts. Improve your sleep by adjusting your circadian rhythm, using Chinese Medicine, and doing a special Yoga practice for sleep.

Tip #2 Eat a Balanced, Organic Diet

Eating a balanced diet will ensure that your body is getting most of the vital nutrients it needs to support immune system function.  There’s many opinions on what “balanced” means though.

I’ve found through research and my own wellness journey that it’s best to focus meals around organic vegetables and sustainably sourced protein.  The rest of the meal can be filled in with fat and starches.  Seasonal fruits make great snacks in between meals.  Here’s my suggestions for specific macrobiotic ratios if you need more guidance. 

Gut health is the basis for immunity, as beneficial bacteria protect the gut lining and help form a defense against pathogens.  A balanced diet supports the gut flora (prebiotics).  It’s helpful to include fermented foods too though, which add even more beneficial bacteria to the intestines.  Try eating more unsweetened yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, and pickled vegetables each day.  You can drink fermented kombucha, kefir, and beet kvass too, which are so yummy and healthy!

Beet kvass to boost immune health

At the same time, you’ll need to avoid the foods that harm gut health.  Sugar, alcohol, conventional foods with herbicides & pesticides, GMO foods, and processed foods made with rancid oils will all kill beneficial bacteria.  They’ll feed the “bad” kind of bacteria instead and may even damage the gut lining.

Tip #3 Take High Quality Supplements

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to get all the nutrients you need for a healthy gut and strong immune system.  Even if you’re eating a balanced diet, there’s sure to be some gaps here and there.  Malnourishment can impede immune system function.

You’ll want to take a whole food vitamin, antioxidant herbs, an essential fatty-acid blend (especially Omega-3 oils), and a probiotic (since gut health is so easily damaged day-to-day).  

Lifelong Vitality Supplements to Support Immune Health

Be sure that you’re choosing supplements that are sustainably sourced and free of fillers.  The supplements I use in the picture above also contain essential oils that make them easier to digest and more bioavailable.

Tip #4 Use Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils

Speaking of essential oils, there are so many that can boost your immunity directly.  OnGuard is my favorite blend (wild orange, clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary) because it’s so pure, you can use it internally as an immune-boosting supplement.

These essential oils can also be applied, diluted in a carrier oil, to the skin and are readily absorbed into the blood stream where they’re ready to fight any invaders.  Diffusing the oils in your home can do the same to prevent the spread of germs in the air.

Tip #5 Manage Your Stress

Stress also damages gut health and prevents you from getting good sleep, so can negatively affect your immunity if you don’t take it seriously.  It’s helpful to approach life with a light-hearted attitude, but I know that’s hard to do all the time and stress can’t always be avoided.  It can be managed though, so you should take some time during the day to release it.  Relieving stress is especially important at night before going to bed so that your body and mind can calm down.

You can download my free stress-relieving acupressure guide here that can help you create a soothing night ritual.

The acupressure points I share in the guide will help you relieve tension and help you fall asleep and stay asleep longer.  You can even incorporate relaxing essential oils like Lavender, Frankincense, Cedarwood, and doTERRA’s Serenity blend in the protocol which will enhance your ability to let go of stress.

If you include these tips in your daily ritual, you’ll be giving your immune system the boost it needs. They’ll keep your body stronger than any microorganism attempting to invade it, or your home.

Please let me know how you feel about adopting these tips in the comments!  I’d love to hear your own tips for keeping yourself and your family healthy too!

Our skin is a reflection of the body’s inner harmony.   As I’ve already shared in Natural Secrets for Beautiful Clear Skin much of our skin’s appearance has to do with how well hydrated we are, how balanced our diet is, and how well we’re avoiding and eliminating toxins.   However, it’s also possible to experience holistic health by treating the outside of the skin too.  I love to combine 2 ancient Ayurvedic practices for the skin that create systemic benefits.  This morning skin care routine will nourish your whole body, boost your energy, and improve your mood!

Continue reading or scroll down for my two instructional videos.

Why You Should Adopt a Morning Skin Care Routine

Morning time (between 3-7am) is related to the Lung and Large Intestine organs, according to Chinese Medicine, which is also related to the skin.  So it’s important to nourish the skin at this time to bring balance to those organs.  The opposite is also true, that this is the best time to do a deep breathing practice and stimulate bowel movements to support clear, healthy skin.

Working with the skin can be both invigorating and calming, which is a wonderful way to start the day.  Taking the time to connect with yourself with touch – a powerful form of self-love – is also a huge aspect of achieving holistic health.

Combining the Ayurvedic rituals of Dry Skin Brushing (Garshana) and Ayurvedic Oil Massage (Abhyanga) in the morning will jump start your body to work at it’s finest while also connecting to your heart and loving nature.

Benefits and Practice of Dry Skin Brushing (Garshana) and Ayurvedic Oil Massage (Abhyanga)

Dry Skin Brushing and Ayurvedic Oil Massage share these benefits:

• Increased circulation of blood and lymph throughout the body, which improves immune system function
• Greater removal of toxins and impurities from the body as lymph drainage is stimulated
• Improved muscle tone
• Beautiful luster on the skin
• Stress relief
• Feeling both invigorated and soothed in body, heart, and mind

Dry Skin Brushing exfoliates the skin and unclogs pores.  Then the skin can absorb nutrients and health-b00sting elements from the carrier and essential oils used in the Ayurvedic Oil Massage.

Before getting to this morning skin care protocol, you may want to download my FREE stress-relieving self-acupressure guide that you can use in the evening, sandwiching your day with self-love!

How to Dry Brush Your Skin

Instructions

1. Use a brush with natural bristles.  I prefer using a long-handled brush like the one featured below.  I like to add a few drops of therapeutic-grade essential oil to the bristles so they immediately enter the skin after the outer layer is exfoliated away.  (If you’d like to do your face too, make sure you get a soft brush made exclusively for dry skin brushing of the face – see video for instructions.)

   

2. Stand in the shower or tub so you dead skin cells are captured.
3. Brush lightly, starting from your feet and moving up in long strokes.  All strokes should be moving from your extremities into your center, toward your heart, to improve circulation.
4. Create clockwise strokes across your abdomen, chest, and inside each armpit.
5. Avoid any areas where you have cuts, rashes, eczema, and burns.  Go lightly over the breasts and abdomen, which tend to be more sensitive.
6. Before rinsing off, go to the next practice of Ayurvedic Self Oil Massage.

How to Perform an Ayurvedic Oil Self-Massage

This routine is very soothing for the body, heart, and mind.  The ancient ritual of anointing your body with oil can be deeply spiritual as well, helping you connect with your inner Goddess.

The oil also helps protect your skin as it’s moisturized and should be used instead of any conventional lotions that are filled with preservatives and other toxic substances.

Instructions:

1. After dry brushing your body, choose an oil to use for the Ayurvedic Massage.  Sesame seed oil is a great neutral oil that can benefit all constitutions.  If you’d like to use an oil that is specific to you type of skin, choose from below:
   • Dry skin (Vata Dosha) – Avocado, Olive, Coconut
   • Red, sensitive skin (Pitta Dosha) – Almond, Sunflower
   • Oily skin (Kapha Dosha) –  Safflower, Corn
2. Warm the oil gently under hot water before massaging it over your entire body.
3. Start with the scalp (if you don’t mind washing your hair afterwards or just leave it in as a day-conditioner).  Then continue to face, making upward strokes from jaw to forehead.
4. Massage down the torso and out to each limb.  Spend some extra time massaging the belly clockwise, in the same direction as digestive flow.  Also make sure your hands and feet are thoroughly massaged, which each contain important acupressure and marma points responsible for vibrant health.
5. Take a hot shower or bath to slowly remove the oil.  It’s best that you only use soap on strategic areas that tend to smell like the genitals, armpits, and feet.  The soap should be free of harsh, toxic ingredients since you’re skin will now be a sponge and pretty much a direct path to the bloodstream.
6. Dry off gently by blotting your skin with a towel.
7. For a sensual touch that is said to give you the aura of a saint, apply 1-2 drops of sustainably-sourced sandalwood, jasmine, or rose essential oils to your belly button, nipples, and temples.

I hope you can make time for this skin care routine every morning!  Please let me know how it works for you, in the comments.

If you haven’t done so already, you’ll want to get my stress-relieving self-acupressure guide that will help you relieve tension, boost your energy, and improve your sleep in less than 10 minutes!  You can add this protocol at the end of your day.

When it comes to managing modern health challenges like chronic stress, anxiety, and inflammatory conditions, it’s best to take a natural approach. People now realize how dangerous it can be to become dependent on pain killers and mood-altering drugs. Cannabidiol (CBD), is a popular natural solution, but the lesser-known Copaiba essential oil is even better in my opinion. Here’s why I think it’s a clear winner when people are considering Copaiba essential oil vs. CBD for holistic health.

Why Focus on the Endocannabinoid System?

The endocannabinoid system has only been studied in depth over the last decade. Scientists discovered that there’s a nexus of cannabinoid receptors on cells throughout the entire body that interact with cannabinoids and can be key in managing disease. So far, they recognize two types of receptors.

CB1 receptors reside in the brain and link with Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive chemical derived from the Cannabis sativa plant. This explains the “high” that someone experiences when they use it.

CB2 receptors cover cells everywhere else in the body. They receive two cannabinoids: Cannabidiol (CBD) which is also derived from Cannabis sativa and beta-caryophyllene which is largely present in Copaiba essential oil (also in black pepper, clove, melissa, and rosemary essential oils, but in a smaller amount) . CB2 receptors support the nervous, cardiovascular, digestive, and immune systems and are responsible for healthy inflammatory response.  

CB2 activation does not create a psychoactive experience like CB1 receptors, so one becomes very relaxed but not “high”.

Many of our health issues these days are due to stress, or too much time spent in a sympathetic nervous system state (flight or flight) as opposed to the parasympathetic state (rest and digest). We also have issues with lowered immunity or auto-immunity. Then there’s pain and inflammation that have many causes. CBD and beta-caryophyllene from Copaiba essential oil both create beneficial systemic effects that help manage symptoms of these health challenges and increase our body’s capacity to heal.

Efficacy of Copaiba Essential Oil vs. CBD

One of the reasons Copaiba sets itself apart from CBD is that it’s cannabinoid binds directly to CB2 receptors! Beta-caryophyllene is quickly available for the body and has a long half-life, meaning it lasts long in the body.

CBD, on the other hand, binds indirectly after several internal processes, which means it takes longer to provide symptom relief. The longer activation cascade of CBD also make dosage confusing because the amount of CBD that’s activated is not always consistent. CBD has a shorter half-life than Copaiba’s beta-caryophyllene

Generally, a smaller amount of high-quality Copaiba essential oil is needed for beneficial effects compared to CBD. You get what you pay for in both industries. But even the more expensive therapeutic-grade brands are still a less expensive option than CBD because of the dose difference.

Research Supporting Copaiba Essential Oil

Exciting research shows that Copaiba essential oil can help with many health challenges!

Check out these studies to learn more:

• Chemopreventive role of Copaifera reticulata Ducke oleoresin in colon carcinogenesis.
• Antimicrobial activity of copaiba oil (Copaifera ssp.) on oral pathogens: Systematic review.
• Medicinal Plants from Northeastern Brazil against Alzheimer’s Disease
• Effects of a massage-like essential oil application procedure using Copaiba and Deep Blue oils in individuals with hand arthritis

How to Use Copaiba Essential Oil

Here’s some ideas of how you can use Copaiba essential oil for holistic health at home.

Aromatic

Place a few drops in a water diffuser to relax your mood. It blends well aromatically with Lavender, Douglas Fir, Frankincense, Peppermint, Clary Sage, and many other essential oils.

Topical

Combine 3-5 drops of Copaiba with 1 oz. of carrier oil like Fractionated Coconut Oil and massage into target areas of the body.

Another fabulous benefit of Copaiba is that it enhances the effects of other essential oils. Try these powerful combinations:

• Blend with Deep Blue to massage into any painful or inflamed regions of the body
• Add into moisturizer along with Geranium and Frankincense to care for blemished, dry, or wrinkled skin
• Massage into soles of feet along with Vetiver to support deeper sleep.

Internal

Take 1-2 drops of therapeutic-grade Copaiba essential oil under tongue or in a vegetable capsule with olive oil to access all of it’s health benefits.

Have you used Copaiba essential oil? Please share your experience in the comments! I’d especially love to hear if you’ve been able to compare it to CBD. Which do you prefer? Well wishes to you…

When you think about strength training (or weight lifting), images of body builders or over-enthusiastic CrossFit athletes may come to mind.  For women especially, it may seem that this type of training is not how you’d like to achieve overall wellness.  However, once you recognize that there are many different approaches and surprising benefits of strength training, you may quickly change your mind!

It has taken me a lifetime to realize that this is one of the best ways for me to care for my body and mind, and has made me confront some stubborn beliefs that I know others hold as well.  Here’s a helpful list of reasons why I’ve been lifting weights as my main form of exercise lately and why I think you should too!

5 Surprising Benefits of Strength Training

1. Boosts Metabolism for Long Periods of Time

A slower metabolism is what we blame for the pesky weight gain that many of us experience as we age.

There are many reasons why metabolism decreases and our bodies become less efficient at burning calories and stored energy (fat), and why it’s different from person to person.  Yes, genes play a role to some degree, but it’s small.  Diet and lifestyle patterns influence our metabolic rate much more.

Extended periods of stress, high carbohydrate diets, eating too many processed foods, inactivity, and being exposed to environmental toxins can all lower your metabolic rate, increase fat stores, and exacerbate certain diseases like diabetes and hypothyroidism.

This is good news though, because it means that we’re not a victim to our metabolic rate and are capable of controlling it (and prevent certain diseases)!  Exercising regularly is essential to regulating metabolism, especially resistance exercises.

With cardio exercises like running, cycling, or swimming, your metabolism is increased during the activity, but quickly moves down to it’s resting rate.

Lifting weights, on the other hand, can keep your metabolism revving for several hours and even days after you finish!  The reason for this is that strength training challenges your body so much that it needs greater time to recover.  But as long as your careful with form and you don’t harm your joints, this is a good stress that actually makes you not only stronger, but more efficient with burning fat as energy.

2. Provides Stability and Safety as We Age

A few months ago in a tennis clinic, I pulled a muscle for the first time in my life.   My calf muscle snapped and spasmed after I made a simple lunge for the ball.  It made me realize that even though I consider myself fairly active, I apparently had a muscular imbalance that left my calf vulnerable.

That’s the point where I really started spending more time in the gym doing heavy squats and weighted lunges to condition my leg muscles equally.  As an outcall Acupuncturist (hauling a massage table around town) and Yoga Instructor, strength training is ensuring that my body will be able to last as I care for others in the community.

Whether you need to keep your body conditioned for your job or sport, it’s still essential you build muscle as you age since sarcopenia is inevitable.  In addition to eating more protein, as advocated by Functional medicine practitioner Gabrielle Lyon,  lifting weights will also help you maintain muscle mass.  You’ll spend more time enjoying fun activities and less time worrying that you’ll fall and decline in health.

3.  Improves Your Mood and Mental Health

Like all forms of exercise, strength training releases endorphins which can drastically improve our mood.  However, there are studies that now show resistance training is actually more effective than aerobic exercise in supporting the management of mental-emotional issues such as anxiety, which is a growing concern in our country.

4.  Challenges Body Ideals and Fixed Beliefs

What do you think of people who lift weights?  Do you make assumptions about their interests, intelligence, and sexual preference?  I’m calling this out because I know for a fact that many people have unkind thoughts and weird assumptions about other people that they feel threatened by.

I wrote about my body image issues and other people’s assumptions in How To Be Thankful For Your Body As It Is.  This is the main reason why I’d always been afraid to do a lot of weight training.  I was already short and stocky – not the “ideal” body shape for a woman – and I didn’t want to move even further away from being “feminine”.  I’m over it now though.  This is not something I believe anymore!

Women, if you want to be a stronger force in the world, I feel like tapping into your physical strength will help you feel even more powerful.  Gone are the days where we need to be soft-spoken, demure, and feel like we need to look smaller than men.  Let’s be strong alongside men!

All bodies are beautiful whether we’re large or small.  Strength is more about function, the body’s ability to confront challenges.  I may look bigger than most as I find the perfect about of strength to sustain my fun & active life.

I’m not afraid to look strong!  Are you?

5. Increases Self-esteem And Confidence.

As you start your strength training journey, you’ll need to overcome a few things I already mentioned:

• Worry about hurting yourself
• Concern for what other people think about you
• Intimidating gym equipment

Once you get over these though, a new degree of confidence is going to emerge.  You’ll feel that you’re not only more physically capable to play sports, carry heavy objects, and such, but that your stronger inside.

Strengthening your body will also strengthen your character.  It will strengthen your resolve to stick to a program for your benefit and for the people who rely on you.

You’ll become a confident role model for those you share your life with.

How to Start a Weight Training Program

Are you interested in strength training but don’t know where to start?

Getting personal training at the gym is a good place to begin to make sure you’re doing the exercises correctly.

Once you become accustomed to dumbbells, barbells, cables, and kettle balls, you may want to start looking at magazines and videos for inspiration.  Right now I’m loving the content on YouTube from MegSquats, BodyBuilding.com, and Kat Musni Fitness.

I hope learning these benefits of strength training has peaked your interest in giving it a try!

Do you incorporate strength training into your exercise program?  How has it worked for you?  Please let us know in the comments!