stress management Archives | Falcon Healing Arts

Essential Oils

Essential Oil Bath Bombs DIY Tutorial

Want to up-level your baths for relaxation? Want to give your kids detox baths that are fun? You can customize this basic essential oil bath bombs recipe to achieve the desired effect. Use these natural DIY bath bombs at home or as gifts for friends who appreciate natural living!

Sure, you could pick up some bath bombs at the drug store. But it’s hard to find natural ingredients which are necessary if you’re wanting them to be health-promoting.

The price of store-bought bath bombs can really increase your grocery bill too. Trust me, I know, since my son always begs for them when we go to Whole Foods!

DIY bath bombs are a much better option since you can control all of that and also customize the desired therapeutic effect with high quality essential oils. Read on to learn how to make them, or see how my son and I do it in the video below.

You may also want to incorporate acupressure into your bath routine for yourself or your child! Pick up my Stress Relieving Acupressure Guide for FREE by clicking the button below.

Essential Oil Bath Bomb Tutorial

First, you’ll need to get all your supplies and ingredients ready. This can get pretty messy, so also make sure you have a clear space free of clutter.

Next, measure out the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Whisk well to break up any lumps.

Mix liquids together. You’ll need to be very precise with the amount of water since it can activate the citric acid and affect the way the bombs keep their shape! (Since making the video, I’ve learned that rubbing alcohol is a better option since it won’t activate the citric acid. It may also help the bombs dry quicker.)

Let me know if you’d like suggestions of which essential oil combinations to use for your bath bomb recipe!

You’ll add the wet ingredients to the dry slowly as you continuously stir, until the mixture resembles wet sand. Then pack gently into each side of the bomb molds with some of the mixture bulging outward. Press together and leave in the mold for one minute.

Tap the mold on every side and gently twist to release the bath bomb. Let the bombs sit out (I put them on parchment paper) for 24 hours to dry. Or you can speed up the process by putting them in a dehydrator.

Simply drop them gently into the tub when you’re ready to use them! My bombs didn’t have a lot of fizz, but I loved how they disbursed the oils in the tub. This is a very moisturizing mixture that left my skin feeling super soft!

I would love to hear how the recipe worked out for you. Please leave a comment below with any questions! Enjoy…Essential Oil Bath Bomb DIY Recipe:

Essential Oil Bath Bombs

Want to uplevel your baths for relaxation? Want to give your kids detox baths that are fun? Following this basic bath bomb recipe, you can then customize do it yourself bath bombs with essential oils to achieve the desired effect.

Keyword: DIY bath bombs, essential oil bath bombs

Yield: 5 bath bombs

Author: Brandy Falcon

Materials

1 cup Baking soda
½ cup Citric acid
½ cup Cornstarch or arrowroot, tapioca, other starch
½ cup Epsom salt
2 ¼ teaspoon Water or substitute with rubbing alcohol to dry bombs quicker and remove risk of activating the acid
2 ½ Tablespoon Almond oil
10-20 drops Therapeutic-grade essential oils I recommend dōTERRA
Natural Food Coloring

Instructions

Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium size bowl.
Combine the wet ingredients in a small bowl.
Slowly pour the liquids into the dry ingredients while stirring continuously so the citric acid isn't activated.
Pack lightly into each half of a bath bom with them slightly overflowing. Press together and let sit in mold for 1 minute.
Gently tap around mold, then twist to relase the bath bomb. Let sit for 24 hours to dry completely before using in the bathtub.

Notes

The amount of bath bombs made with this recipe depends on the size of your mold.

Boost Energy, Personal Development, Thyroid Health, Women's health

5 Surprising Benefits of Strength Training

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!

Follow brandy on pinterest

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

My 10 Favorite Essential Oils For Emotional Health

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!

Essential Oils, Gut Health, Natural Beauty, Natural Remedies, Supplements, Traditional Chinese Medicine

Natural Secrets For Beautiful Clear Skin

This was a Facebook Live in our Blissful Living Community Group
for my dōTERRA customers.

Everyone desires beautiful skin! Few have escaped the embarrassment of acne and blemishes. Many moms have experienced concern for their kids with rashes and eczema. As we age, and particularly in Autumn & Winter, we experience more dry, wrinkle-prone skin. I’ve experienced and overcome all of those conditions. Therefore, I’m thrilled to share my natural secrets for clear skin with you, while boosting your health & confidence!

In the Western Medicine approach to skin conditions, the focus is on treating the skin itself, oftentimes with harsh products that have many undesirable side effects. Many of these have questionable safety profiles and can damage other aspects of your health.

Wouldn’t you rather get to the root of your skin issue and experience benefits only? You’ll get that with a natural approach to skin health. Want to know the secret?

The secret to having beautiful skin is to achieve health inside the body.

If you cleanse and support your body internally, you will see more positive results externally, because the skin is simply a reflection of what’s going on inside.

I’m not wearing any makeup at all in the picture above. I did use a soft-focus filter to make the tint more appealing for this post, but did not touch it up. My skin is not perfect, I still have wrinkles, scars, and monthly pimples. It is tremendously better at 45 years old than it was in my 20’s though!

Back then my system was flooded with hormones from the birth control pills and low quality animal products I was consuming. My gut health was a mess. Later on I would develop an autoimmune condition because of it. It took me over a decade to gain all the knowledge I have today. In the process, I’ve healed myself from the inside. This skin, that I’m now proud to show off, is a natural byproduct of my efforts.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Skin Health

In TCM, it’s known that any skin issue is due to an imbalance of energy in the Lung & Large intestine paired organs and the channels that traverse them. We’re considered microcosms of nature and can be affected by the same elements we experience in our environment. When a rash, eczema or acne vents to the skin, it’s usually “damp heat” in these channels. Dryness of the skin is “dryness” in these channels. Oftentimes imbalances of other organs/channels can affect the Lung & Large Intestine as well, particularly the Stomach, Spleen, and Liver.

The etiology is often poor diet, overwork, and emotional imbalance. Treatment is focused on balancing the diet with support of appropriate herbs, acupuncture, and managing stress. It’s essential that the large intestine energy is moving, meaning that you’re having daily, well-formed bowel movements. This way, you’re clearing your body of “heat and toxins” through the bowels and not just the skin.

Before reading about my natural secrets for beautiful skin, you may want to get my FREE stress-relieving self-acupressure guide. It will help you relieve tension and improve your sleep, in just 10 minutes! I know you’ll love it, and you can get it here:

Natural Steps to Achieve Clear Skin from the Inside

Hydrate

Plump, moist skin is reflective of hydrated cells. You’ll want to make sure you’re drinking enough water throughout the day, which should total half your body weight in ounces (eg. if you’re 160 lbs, you’ll drink 80 oz. of water). Try to have much of it first things in the morning upon waking, so you’ll prime your digestion and hopefully poop.

Sweat to Detox

Toxins are released from the body through the pores of our skin as we sweat. This is best done with exercise so you’re benefiting the lungs too with the exertion. You only need to do enough to break a sweat, as you don’t want it pouring out, dehydrating you!

Sweating in saunas and hot baths can also help free the body and benefit the skin. Just be sure to have clean skin before you sweat. If you’re wearing makeup or sunscreen, they can clog your pores, reducing the potential of detoxing through the skin.

Heal the Gut

Similar to the TCM approach, modern functional medicine also advises that you focus on gut health first when wanting to improve your skin. They recognize that the liver has a huge role to play as well. When it’s overburdened with pharmaceutical drugs, heavy metals, xenoestrogens from conventional personal care products, cortisol from stress, and excess of sex hormones, it becomes overburdened and sluggish. This can greatly impair digestive function.

Also, many of these same substances (including stress and too much sugar!) can damage beneficial bacteria in the gut. Without their defense, “bad” bacteria take over, making it more difficult to digest your favorite foods and causing inflammation. This inflammation vents to the skin.I always suggest doing an elimination diet which will help you identify any food intolerances and will also give you time to detox. If you follow this diet for 90 days, you’ll be giving your gut ample time to turnover damaged cells for healthy ones which may be enough to heal the intolerance.

Read these posts to learn more about how gut health is impaired and how to improve it:

Improve Your Family’s Gut Health, part 1

Improve Your Family’s Gut Health, part 2

I suggest this program when embarking on an elimination diet. I’ve done it a few times with great success:

The Elimination Diet

If you need even more structure, I recommend this program from Standard Process which includes some whole food supplements and a shake. If you’re interested, contact me for a consultation and I can help you get it:

Standard Process Purification Program

Essential Oils & Natural Products for Beautiful Skin

Cleansing the skin is still important on the outside, but we need to be careful because there are beneficial bacteria on the surface of the skin as well. I suggest always opting for natural products that can improve skin tone without stripping the skin of this important defense.

I am very particular about the essential oils I use. I’ve aligned with one company because of their commitment to quality and purity. They are also making a huge impact integrating into and improving health care in this country while supporting global communities where these oils are sourced.

Best Essential Oils for Skin:

My Favorite Products:

HD Clear (great for teens!)

Verage skin care

Detoxifying mud mask

Hydrating Cream

I hope you’re feeling hopeful about treating your skin issues with a natural, inside-out approach. I’d love to hear about your efforts in the comments! Please leave a comment below.

As you just learned, managing stress is key to keeping the gut and skin healthy! Download my FREE self-acupressure guide to stay ahead of the effects of stress, before they impact your gut and skin. You can get it here:

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

Should You Develop A Home Yoga Practice?

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

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?

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…

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

How Meditation Changed The Course Of My Life

Most people are familiar with the many benefits of meditation such as stress reduction, better sleep, lowered blood pressure, balanced emotions, greater self-awareness & empathy. I’d like to share with you how meditation changed my life. I hope that my story can inspire you to start meditating too!

My teacher, Sarah Powers, is fond of saying that people turn to meditation when they are utterly sick of themselves. They commit to the practice when they realize that their habitual ways of being are getting them nowhere in life. Meditation, especially Vipassana or Insight Meditation, shows us where disharmony exists in our lives. It gives us tools to pull us up and out of our personal mess.

How I Was Introduced To Meditation

If you really want to know more about my personal mess, you can read my original post on my introduction to meditation. Basically, I had a really difficult time obtaining my college education and racked up considerable credit card debt. I adopted really bad lifestyle habits and endured several shallow, heartbreaking relationships. Despite all that, I was doing really well in my full-time job. I placed all my energy there, and it’s where I received the most help.

My supervisor suggested that I attend an “Intro to Meditation” workshop my co-workers were having after hours. I remember feeling self-conscious. I noticed that everyone was at least 10 years older than I, and wondering why in the world she thought to include me. But I respected her immensely and opened my mind fully to the experience.

Mindfulness ~ A Sensual Experience

What happened next, was not what I expected. I thought we would just sit as still as possible and try to empty our minds.

Instead, the instructor invited us to pick up a single raisin from many that she had on the tray. First, we described the raisin to each other. We noted it’s size, it’s texture, it’s color, and it’s smell. Then we let our mouths salivate. We chewed the raisin, tasted it, felt the change in it’s structure as it turned to liquid, and swallowed the syrupy goodness. Our senses were alive and these simple details became important as we put them in the foreground of our awareness.

I experienced a raisin as I never had before! And I appreciated my body for the pleasure of it’s sweet taste. Then it occurred to me: if I had overlooked the simple details of eating, what else was I missing in life?

As I was mindfully eating the raisin, I was calm, focused, and felt less shy when we shared in the group afterwards. Somehow I had tapped into a well of confidence and felt a greater connection to the people in the group. It didn’t matter anymore that these people were older than me, different from me.

How Meditation Changed My Life

This seed of experience was planted in my consciousness long ago. It took many more years of hardship before I really understood how meditation could help me. It was around the time I started practicing yoga too, when meditation became a larger part of my life.

I immersed myself in the practice and found my teachers. At that point, compassion, patience, and understanding replaced the desperation, self-loathing, and worry that I clung to as a young adult.

Eventually I discovered my life purpose as an alternative health practitioner & educator. I now have a healthy relationship with money. It flows into my life easily. I give it freely to people and causes that I value without feeling any loss. I have a loving, respectful relationship with my husband and we have the most beautiful, inquisitive child. I’m aware when stress builds in my body and have natural, healthy ways to relieve it.

The Place of Meditation In My Life Now

Of course that’s not the end of my story! Life is not always rainbows and roses. I will never be “done” with this inner journey as long as I’m alive.

It’s still hard to prioritize a formal sitting practice when I have so many other obligations. But even just mindfully sitting a few minutes here and there helps. When I’m overly reactive to things happening around me, when relationships with friends feel strained, or I’m feeling unsatisfied in my business, I can usually trace it back to a disconnection in my inner life. This then helps me reprioritize meditation. And I do this over, and over, and over.

I am so grateful for this practice. Meditation changed my life by connecting me to consciousness in a deep and meaningful way.

If you’re feeling inspired to begin a meditation practice but don’t know where to start, check out my website’s Yoga & Meditation page. There are several guided meditations, all approximately 15 minutes, that can help get you started.

If you like this article and the meditations, please share this resource with your friends! I’d love to hear how you’re doing with them in the comments too! Well wishes to you…

Emotional health, Essential Oils, Meditation, Natural pain relief, Natural Remedies, Women's health

Essential Oils For Calming The Mind and Soothing Tension

Even though essential oils have been used all over the world for thousands of years, they’re still unfamiliar to many modern Americans. Luckily for all, there is a new wave of interest . People are discovering that they do much more than offer a pleasing fragrance. Essential oils can support one’s physical, emotional, and mental health in a natural way, free of side effects and addictions. In this article, we’ll discuss the best essential oils for stress, a condition most of us need help with!

Recently, I’ve been working with a technique called Aroma Acupoint Therapy in my TCM clinic that combines essential oils with acupuncture points. I’m finding that the effects are so profound that for children & sensitive adults, this method is a fine substitute for acupuncture.

The treatment I do the most is for relieving tension and calming the spirit. If this is something you need too, then I highly suggest using the following oils alone or as a lovely blend.

All are safe used neat, in their concentrated form, if using on specific body points as I do with acupressure. But for beginners, it may be easier to dilute the oils in a carrier oil, such as fractionated coconut oil, to spread across a larger surface of the body. The bottom of the feet is a great place for topical application of these oils. This helps you ground your energy, relieve tension, and also activate many systemic reflexology points.

Or, simply place a few drops in a diffuser and let your brain’s olfactory perception of these oils help melt away the tension.

Essential Oils for Stress and Tension

Bergamot

This oil, derived from the rind of the fruit, has both calming and uplifting properties. It’s perfect for when one is feeling anxious or depressed. Like most citrus oils, you must stay out of sunlight, avoiding UV rays for up to 12 hours after topical application. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use it though! Just put the oil where the sun doesn’t shine or choose to diffuse it instead.

Lavender

Lavender is one of the oldest oils, used by Romans & Egyptians when bathing, cooking, relaxing, and as a perfume. It’s a must-have for modern people who experience restless sleep. In addition to diffusing and spreading across the bottom of the feet, you can place a few drops on a cotton ball and place under your pillow when you’re ready to snooze.

Marjoram

It’s not just a tasty culinary herb! The essential oil of marjoram supports the nervous system, having a sedative effect and also eases sore muscles. Apply it to the back of the neck or wherever tension is showing up in your body. It’s especially effective for releasing tension in your body that might be keeping you awake at night, so would be great to put in an evening bath.

Blue Tansy

The chemical chamazulene creates the brilliant blue shade of Blue Tansy, also known as Moroccan Chamomile. Blue tansy can be diffused to uplift your mood or be massaged into the skin to relax muscular tension.

Cedarwood

Cedarwood is a very grounding oil that can help move tense energy down and out from the neck, shoulders, and upper back when applied to the feet. You can create a calming ritual where you take a hot foot bath in epsom salts and then massage Cedarwood into your feet afterwards with fractionated coconut oil.

In order to receive the greatest benefit, it’s important to use “Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade” essential oils. Unfortunately, due to loose regulation, there are many oils on the market that have been adulterated even though the labels say they are 100% pure. Visit my Natural Health Products page for my suggestions and support.

Have you used essential oils for calming the mind and soothing tension? Please let me know about your experience in the comments! Well wishes to you…

Boost Energy, Chronic Disease, Gut Health, Kids Health, Supplements, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Whole Food Diet

Improve Your Family’s Gut Health to Increase General Health: Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 in our series on how to improve gut health! It’s not a glamorous subject, so if you’re reading this, I know you care deeply about your family’s health.

That’s my guy in the picture above, about 6 years ago. He looks so happy and vibrant! Just looking at the picture, you’d never guess we were in the middle of restoring his gut flora to heal from eczema and a dairy intolerance.

It took a little over a year, but with persistent care, I was able to heal him from the inside out. I want to share what I’ve learned with you because many families are unaware that gut health is the foundation of general health!

You may already know that we live symbiotically with the beneficial bacteria that populate the length of our GI tract. Did you know that they also live on the surface of our skin? They protect our gut lining and skin, increase our immunity by supporting white blood cells, and allow us to digest & absorb nutrients efficiently.

In Part 1 we discussed how gut flora is established, how it can be damaged, and what gut dysbiosis looks like. Avoiding or reducing the triggers we listed in that post is the first step toward healing the gut. Now, we’ll focus on rebuilding the gut lining and increasing beneficial bacteria to boost your family’s general health.

How to Improve Your Family’s Gut Health

Fermented foods & drinks

Everyone can benefit from including fermented foods and beverages in their diet. This is because lacto-fermented vegetables, fruits, and grains supply our bodies with a good dose of beneficial bacteria.

Here’s an informative video from Sarah Pope, The Healthy Home Economist, on the value of fermentation. (The ginger-ale recipe she introduces at the end is awesome!)

Probiotics

People who just had a round of antibiotics/vaccinations, are on a high sugar diet, or under severe stress, can benefit greatly from a probiotic supplement. All of these experiences diminish gut health drastically, so probiotics are needed for repopulation.

A good probiotic:

Contains a large variety of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces (beneficial yeast) species
Contains a large concentration of species, measured in Colony Forming Units (CFUs)
Includes prebiotics or oligosaccharides, necessary for probiotic propagation
Is well tested by the manufacturer and the results are published

For infants, giving them a powder form with at least Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium infantis and at least 3 million CFU per day is best. Simply place 1/4 teaspoon on a wet finger and into baby’s mouth.

Toddlers and children can take powder form or tablets, with a higher dose of 10-20 million CFU, and a larger variety of species.

There are specific products for men and women too that you may want to check out. Good quality brands include Klaire Labs, Douglas Laboratories, Orthomolecular Products, and my favorite dōTERRA’s PB Assist & PB Assist Jr..

Some people will need a therapeutic dose that is much higher than the more conservative “maintenance” suggestions listed here. You can work with a qualified professional who can advise you on this and help you with the “die-off” reaction that may occur.

Bone broth

When the body seriously needs nutrients, bone broth is one of the best foods to supply them. The simmered bones and cartilage release easy-to-absorb forms of:

calcium
magnesium
phosphorus
silicon
sulfur
trace minerals
gelatin
collagen
proline
glycine
glutamine
chondroitin sulphate
glucosamine

All of these nutrients can help seal the intestinal lining and therefore improve immune system function. This article describes it’s benefits beautifully and includes recipes for chicken, beef, and fish broth.

Redwood City’s own Food Foundation guru Jessica Campbell has a great article and quick video on how to prepare bone broth as well.

GAPS and SCD diets

GAPS is an acronym for Gut and Psychology Syndrome, a diet developed by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. This diet focuses on restoring health in children diagnosed with neurological issues such as autism, dyspraxia, dyslexia, A.D.D/A.D.H.D., depression, and schizophrenia.

Dr. Campbell-McBride’s diet is based on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) developed by Dr. Sydney Valentine Haas. It was popularized by Elaine Gottschall in her book Breaking in the Viscous Cycle which focuses on healing Chrohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, and chronic diarrhea.

Both women have successfully treated a large population of children and adults with severe psychological and bowel disorders. However, the indications for this diet extend beyond what’s addressed in the books. People experiencing autoimmune disorders, allergies, food intolerances, chronic respiratory infections, ear infections, and skin disorders can also benefit.

I’ve tried both diets to deal with my autoimmune illness and gut dysbiosis, but have had the most success with GAPS. It is the newer book of the two, with a more modern approach. Campbell-McBride discusses the triggers of gut imbalance in great detail and what to avoid in our increasingly toxic environment. She emphasizes the importance of having fermented foods in every meal. I also appreciate her sharing detoxification methods like epsom salt/baking soda baths and probiotic enemas for stubborn cases.

Campbell-McBride has a thorough chapter on supplements, but says…

“I cannot emphasize enough that an appropriate diet has to be the number one intervention in successful nutritional management of the GAPS child or adult. No pill in the world is going to come close to the effect of the diet on your patient’s condition.”

It’s wise to work with a qualified professional to determine if this diet is appropriate for you. They can also help you with the supplement protocol and detoxification methods.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) & Herbs

Acute and chronic stress negatively impact gut microorganism populations. Therefore, any method of relaxation has a positive effect on the healing process.

The Chinese Medicine methods of acupuncture, acupressure, and tuina massage can help you manage stress and treat the emotional and energetic roots.

Chinese herbs affect physical imbalances directly. There are certain herbs that help rid the GI tract of opportunistic, pathogenic bacteria and some that can help rebuild the gut lining too.

Chinese medicine practitioners are studying leaky gut and gut dysbiosis more and more. In fact, I’m taking a course on TCM and Leaky Gut Syndrome from a very experienced Herbalist this weekend. I’ll be filled to the brim with more information on this come Sunday!

Now you hopefully have a better understanding of how to improve your family’s gut health. As always, I’d love to hear your comments and can answer any questions. Well wishes…

Page 1 of 212 »

Essential Oil Bath Bomb Tutorial

Essential Oil Bath Bombs

Materials

Instructions

Notes

5 Surprising Benefits of Strength Training

1. Boosts Metabolism for Long Periods of Time

2. Provides Stability and Safety as We Age

3. Improves Your Mood and Mental Health

4. Challenges Body Ideals and Fixed Beliefs

5. Increases Self-esteem And Confidence.

How to Start a Weight Training Program

How to Use Essential Oils for Emotional Health

Essential Oils for Emotional Well-Being

1. Arborvitae – The Oil Of Divine Grace

2. Bergamot – The Oil of Self-Acceptance

3. Cilantro – The Oil of Releasing Control

4. Cypress – The Oil of Motion & Flow

5. Geranium – The Oil of Love & Trust

6. Helichrysum – The Oil for Pain

7. Lavender – The Oil of Communication

8. Lime – The Oil of Zest for Life

9. Myrrh – The Oil of Mother Earth

10. Thyme – The Oil of Releasing & Forgiving

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Skin Health

Natural Steps to Achieve Clear Skin from the Inside

Hydrate

Sweat to Detox

Heal the Gut

Essential Oils & Natural Products for Beautiful Skin

Best Essential Oils for Skin:

My Favorite Products:

10 Reasons Why You Should Do A Home Yoga Practice

1. It’s easier to be mindful

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

3. There’s no self-consciousness or competition

4. You can create more time to relax deeply

5. You’ll develop greater discipline and commitment

6. You’re likely to progress quicker

7. You can make your own schedule

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

9. You can meet & respect your inner teacher

10. You’re more likely to experience Yoga

Why Support Menstruation Naturally?

Essential Oils for Menstruation

Try this technique for painful or irregular periods:

How Our Attitudes Create Stress, Disease, and Disconnection

How Do You Change Your Attitude and Achieve Health?

Adopting a Positive Attitude is a Conscious Choice

How I Was Introduced To Meditation

Mindfulness ~ A Sensual Experience

How Meditation Changed My Life

The Place of Meditation In My Life Now

Essential Oils for Stress and Tension

How to Improve Your Family’s Gut Health

Fermented foods & drinks

Probiotics

Bone broth

GAPS and SCD diets

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) & Herbs

Connect With Me On Social Media

Connect With Me on Facebook

Recent Posts

Categories

Learn More About Me

Get a Blog Just Like Mine!