Introducing Relevant Rodeo, or What I Am Weaving Today

Dear Yin Weaver,


If you are a Facebook Fan of mine, you know I promised you a surprise in this week’s blog, and here it is: I’m not going to blog about Energy Medicine energy any more (except as it naturally weaves into my new theme). In fact, allow me to let the rest of the cat out of the bag. The Eden Project was actually a practicum project I took on to help me fulfill the requirements for my Eden Energy Medicine Advanced Practitioner training. I fulfilled the requirements at the end of July. God willing and the creek don’t rise, I will be awarded my certificate sometime in September 2010. I will post the summary paper (The Eden Project: Adventures in Social Networking) I wrote describing what I learned about leaving my digital footprint on the ether-world in a few weeks, once I'm done with the editing and it's final acceptance.


When I left on vacation, I made sure to have enough back-up blogs written to keep me current until my return. I had also left with the promise I would continue writing about Energy Medicine when I got back, specifically, the Five Elements. However, to be honest, I was very ambivalent about that promise. It was not because I had grown tired of writing about the topic. It was because I was also ready to take on another writing challenge (I joined a writer’s group that meets every three weeks and will go for six months. Each person in the group has a writing project. Mine is to resurrect an old dream of mine to write my spiritual autobiography), and felt I had just about stretched the rubber band as far as it was going to go without snapping.

But I’m not ready to give up on blogging yet. So I’ve decided to morph the blog into something new, something that reflects another side of me and my life: my journey of faith. I expect it to be more like a journal, reflecting my experience of being a Christian with new age proclivities and other talents which alienate me from some and endear me to others, and how I go about living with the tension of all that.  I hope it will also be a way for me to work on parts of my book.

The name will change from its current one to Relevant Rodeo (you’ll have to read the first blog to see why). I hope you’ll still find it of some interest (or maybe more) and will continue to share your thoughts and experiences as I share mine.

Blessings,
Rose

What in the World are You Weaving Today?

Dear Yin-Weaver,

Mother Teresa said, “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” I truly believe the path of the Yin-Weaver is the path of doing small things with great love, because each act of love is like adding a tiny stitch to the quilt of life. I call YOU Yin-Weaver because you are a woman who wants to weave those “yin stitches” back into your life, back into society, and back into the world. But you live in a society that has become so hardened by a materialistic world view, sewing in those lovely energies of love, joy, peace, health, bounty, connection, reflection, kindness, nurture, goodness, generosity, gratitude and grace is like pushing a needle made of straw through a brick wall. Yet still, gently, quietly, faithfully and patiently you weave where you can, when you can—knowing so much rides on it.

Well, as a fellow Yin-Weaver, I’m here to support you on your journey. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Rose Mattax. I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. I am an Eden Energy Medicine Practitioner. I am a Certified Flower Essence Practitioner (FES & Spirit-In-Nature). I am an Usui Reiki Master and Visitation Reiki Practitioner (more on this later). I love to reweave the power of yin back into the world through my practice as an Energy Medicine Practitioner. In my office, I have seen Energy Medicine stop Multiple Sclerosis in its tracks, turn anxiety and depression into joy and peace, get rid of hot flashes, support high-risk pregnancies, rebuild resiliency after surgery, make emotional traumas truly a thing of the past, and so much more.

Over the next six months, I want to use this blog to help you discover Energy Medicine as the “oldest, safest, most organic, most accessible, and most affordable medicine there is.”* I will chart the use of Energy Medicine both in my personal and professional life with people, pets, at home and in my travels. I’ll be sharing exercises and how-to tips for you to practice on your own. You’ll be invited to participate in “Energy Medicine Challenges” to encourage you in making Energy Medicine a part of your daily life.

In the process, I hope to encourage a dialogue between us, or at least get YOU, Yin-Weaver, to think about how Energy Medicine can work in YOUR life. You don’t have to have a serious medical issue or life concern to make Energy Medicine work for you (and by the way, this blog is in no way intended to be a substitute for appropriate professional medical and/or psychological care where indicated). Look at it as an opportunity to participate more fully in your own health care. Together we can share our ups and downs along the way towards creating a more Yin-friendly and pro-Energy Medicine world.

Are you game? Great! Please sign up to receive my blog and you’ll be hearing from me every Friday.

Blessings,
Rose

What do Hot Flashes and Jet Lag Have in Common?

Dear Yin Weaver,

I love this article (see below) I found on the many uses of epsom salts.  Dee has a lot of great suggestions for using ES on a daily basis.   But she missed one.  I'm a bit of an epsom salts bath freak, and you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be taking Yarrow Environmental Solution ES baths next week to help me recover from the jet lag I'm bound to feel from my fourteen hour return trip from Europe tomorrow. 

Here's how you do it.  Mix two cups of epsom salts into water warm as you want it.  To that add about 20 drops of Yarrow Environmental Solution flower essence.  This combination will detoxify, revitalize and reintegrate your aura after overexposure to electromagnetic fields.  It will also help you to re-establish healthy "grounding" after being literally up in the air.  Soak for at least twenty minutes.  Then hop into your jammies, because this bath can be very soporific. 

By the way, this very same bath can be good for hot flashes and night sweats.  True story:  I had a client who was having very bad night sweats.  So I suggested she take the bath I just described here for as many nights in a row as she needed until the sweats were gone or at least minimized.  When I saw her a few weeks later she told me she took one bath.  That night she woke up in the middle of the night, went to the bathroom and "peed like Niagara falls," went back to bed, and never had another night sweat. 

Blessings,
Rose

The Many Uses of Epsom Salts

I remember as a kid when my Great Aunt Grace would put some Epsom Salts in a dish pan, add really warm water and soak her feet because they hurt.

So, to me, that’s what Epsom Salts was all about – a remedy for painful joints in old folks. Little did I know!

Times have changed – or have they?

All the talk about ‘Natural Remedies’ and ‘getting back to basics’ always floors me because my great aunt and my grandmothers were all doing this stuff when I was a little girl. So did my mom…and so have I. So, for me, there’s been no ‘getting back to’ anything.

However, I’m not too old to learn and since learning is one thing I LOVE to do, I decided to learn more about Epsom Salts after reading a snippet on detoxification. Here’s what I’ve found.

Studies show these benefits from the major components of Epsom Salt may:

Magnesium:
* Ease stress and improves sleep and Concentration
* Help muscles and nerves function properly
* Regulate activity of 325%2B enzymes
* Help prevent artery hardening and blood clots
* Make Insulin more effective
* Reduce inflammation to relieve pain and muscle cramps
* Improve oxygen use
Sulfates:
* Flush Toxins

* Improve absorption of nutrients
* Help form joint Proteins, brain tissue and mucin Proteins
* Help prevent or ease Migraine Headaches
The Many Uses of Epsom Salts…
1) Wash your face before going to bed:  According to recent studies in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, deposits of nicotine and carbon monoxide (from secondhand smoke and pollution) can wreck havoc on the skin.. To cleanse your face – Mix a half-teaspoon of Epsom Salt with your regular cleansing cream. Just massage into skin and rinse with cold water. 

Troubleshoot with the right homemade mask:  Apply this mask in the shower, to your damp face, to lock in the moisture. For normal to oily skin, mix 1 tablespoon of cognac, 1 egg, 1/4 cup of nonfat dry milk, the juice of 1 Lemon, and a half-teaspoon of Epsom Salt. For normal to dry skin mix 1/4 cup of grated Carrot, 1 1/2 teaspoons of mayonnaise and a half-teaspoon of Epsom Salt.
2) Smoother Softer Skin:  Pour two cups into a bath of warm water. Lean back and relax. As you soak, the natural action of Epsom Salt helps soften the rough, dry patches of your skin. You can also rub Epsom salts all over the body, while wet, then rinse and towel off. Rubbing Epsom salts directly on the body exfoliates skin and leaves it smooth and silky. They make a great gift to give someone when you put them in a nice glass jar with lid and tie on a pretty ribbon. You can add scent to them by sprinkling them with essential oil. Or mix Epsom salts with baby oil and keep by the sink if you wash your hands a lot.

3) Add Body to Your Hair:  Combine 3 tablespoons of deep conditioner with 3 tablespoons of Epsom Salt. Microwave the mixture for 20 seconds. Work the warm mixture through your hair from scalp to ends and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water. Promotes body and life in your hair and restores curl to permed hair.

4) Remove Hairspray and Gel Buildup:  Combine a gallon of distilled water, a cup of Lemon juice (fresh or bottled), and 1 cup of Epsom Salt. Cap the mixture and let it sit for 24 hours. The next day, pour the mixture into your dry hair and let it sit for 20 minutes. Then shampoo as normal.

5) Soak tired, aching feet (this one sounds familiar!):  Soak aching, tired feet in a pan of water with half a cup of Epsom salts and not only will your feet feel better, but they’ll smell better too. Epsom salts work to neutralize odor and soften skin. Soak feet until they feel better then rinse and dry well. A full bath should contain 2 cups of Epsom salts for relief of tired feet, back muscles, legs or just as a way to have softer skin.

6) Combat oily hair:  The salts do wonders for the hair, absorbing oil from problem hair by adding 8 tablespoons of Epsom salts to a half a cup of shampoo that’s formulated for oily hair. Put a tablespoon of the shampoo mixture on dry hair and work it in and around the scalp area, rinsing it out with cold water. To rinse it well, and further treat oily hair, pour a cup of apple cider vinegar over the hair, leave on for 5 minutes, and then rinse with cool water.

7) Soak out splinters:  Did you know, for instance, that soaking a splinter in Epsom salts can release the splinter and help the area to heal?

Make a poultice pack for strains or sprains:  If you have any strained muscles or sprains, you can take 1/2 to 1 cup of Epsom salts and make a “pack” with it to place on the affected area, wrap with hot towel and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. TIP: This can be a lot less messy and more relaxing if done in the bath.

9) Helps prevent hardening of arteries and blood clots:  Epsom Salt is also believed to help prevent Heart Disease and strokes by lowering blood pressure, protecting the elasticity of arteries, preventing blood clots and reducing the risk of sudden Heart Attack deaths.
10) Makes Insulin more effective:  This salt also increases the effectiveness of Insulin, helping to lower the risk or severity of Diabetes.

11) Essential to plant health:  Most plants to survive good health need nutrients like magnesium and sulfur. Magnesium Sulfate Crystals when added to the soil, provides vital nutrients to help prevent loss of green color (magnesium is an essential element in the chlorophyll molecule), yellowing leaves. Epsom Salt makes the primary nutrients in most plant foods (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) more effective.

12) Get rid of raccoons:  Are the masked night marauders poking around your trash can, creating a mess and raising a din? A few tablespoons of Epsom salt spread around your garbage cans will deter the raccoons, who don’t like the taste of the stuff. Don’t forget to reapply after it rains.
13) Deter slugs:  Are you tired of visiting your yard at night only to find the place crawling with slimy slugs? Sprinkle Epsom salt where they glide and say good-bye to the slugs.

14) Fertilize tomatoes and other plants:  Want those Big Boys to be big? Add Epsom salt as a foolproof fertilizer. Every week, for every foot of height of your tomato plant, add one tablespoon. Your tomatoes will be the envy of the neighbor-hood. Epsom salt is also a good fertilizer for houseplants, roses and other flowers, and trees.
15) Make your grass greener:  How green is your valley? Not green enough, you say? Epsom salt, which adds needed magnesium and iron to your soil, may be the answer. Add 2 tablespoons to 1 gallon (3.7 liters) of water. Spread on your lawn and then water it with plain water to make sure it soaks into the grass.

16) Clean bathroom tiles:  Is the tile in your bathroom getting that grungy look? Time to bring in the Epsom salt. Mix it in equal parts with liquid dish detergent, then dab it onto the offending area and start scrubbing. The Epsom salt works with the detergent to scrub and dissolve the grime.

17) Regenerate a car battery:  Is your car battery starting to sound as if it won’t turn over? Worried that you’ll be stuck the next time you try to start your car? Give your battery a little more life with this potion. Dissolve about an ounce of Epsom salt in warm water and add it to each battery cell.

18) Get rid of blackheads:  Here’s a surefire way to dislodge blackheads: Mix 1 teaspoon Epsom salt and 3 drops iodine in 1/2 cup boiling water. When the mixture cools enough to stick your finger in it, apply it to the blackhead with a cotton ball. Repeat this three or four times, reheating the solution if necessary. Gently remove the blackhead and then dab the area with an alcohol-based astringent.

19) Frost your windows for Christmas:  If you are dreaming of a white Christmas, but the weather won’t cooperate, at least you can make your windows look frosty. Mix Epsom salt with stale beer until the salt stops dissolving. Apply the mixture to your windows with a sponge — for a realistic look, sweep the sponge in an arc at the bottom corners. When the mixture dries, the windows will look frosted.

20) Relieves Constipation:  Numerous studies have revealed that Epsom Salt can also be used to treat Constipation. The salt acts like a Laxative. It increases the water in the intestines and can bring about temporary relief from Constipation. However, it is strictly warned that Epsom Salts should not be used to relieve Constipation without the consultation of a physician as it may prove to be harmful in some cases. For occasional Constipation or irregularity, adults can mix 2 to 4 teaspoons into water until dissolved and drink. Kids 6 to 12 take half of that. This can be used twice a day by taking the first treatment, waiting 4 hours and taking the second dosage if necessary.

Sources:  epsomsaltcouncil.org/

Dee Braun, a single mom of 6 kids, is a Certified Aromatherapist, Certified Dr. of Reflexology and a natural health practitioner. Click now to visit Mom's Blog at http://www.moms-blog.com/ – a blog just for moms (and dads!) which offers more information on green living, children's health, child natural remedies and parenting advice and insight.

Energy Tools for Self Honesty

Dear Yin Weaver,

Allow me to introduce you to one of my favorite people, Kealah Parkinson.  She is guest-blogging for me during my absence on the topic of energy medicine and the role it has played in her journey of self awareness.  You can contact Kealah at http://www.speak-your-truth.com/ for more information on her work as a Communications Coach. 

Blessings,
Rose

Energy Tools for Self Honesty

Energy healing is amazing. If you're reading this blog, you may very well already agree with that statement. But did you realize that you can use tools for energy healing to improve the way you SPEAK? By simply becoming more self-aware as you either practice or receive energy medicine, you can do exactly that.


As a Communications Coach, I recommend to my clients something I call The 3 Keys of Communication©. They are:

(1) Self-Honesty

(2) Relational Honesty

(3) Universal Honesty.

Energy medicine can help you achieve each one of these. And, by the way, I know this, because I've tried it, myself!

During my first experience with energy medicine, I was in my early 20s and relatively new to Chicago. I had a small-town, wide-eyed wonder about a lot of life then. And when some of my colleagues recommended a holistic clinic where I could energetically detox, I had a hard time taking them seriously. But curiosity won out, and I wound up meeting a very professional healer—named Rose Mattax—whose demeanor put me at ease. When she recommended a variety of floral essences for me, I made sure to do my own research on the subject before I took even one drop! ... But after I began to use the essences as Rose had suggested, I was impressed with how well they worked: Golden Ear Drops, for example, gave me some very vivid dreams that helped me to make peace with some childhood issues that no longer served my life.

The more I began to use the various energy tools Rose offered me, the more improvements I began to see in my outlook on life. And, of course, the more self-aware and self-honest I was, the more I was able to be honest with others in my world; the more, you might say, I could speak my personal truth.

Today, I make sure to visit Rose at least once a month and receive Reiki—which I like to describe as "energy massage." It's like my very own spa day! I also employ a lot of other tools (Emotional Freedom Technique, Yoga, prayer, meditation and Eden Energy Medicine) as needed at home.

Are you waiting to explore new paths to self-awareness? Do you feel like you just can't say what you mean when you want to say it? Consider the tools of energy medicine as a way that you can speak YOUR truth and communicate more clearly today.

BIO: Kealah (KEE-la) Parkinson is a Communications Coach based in the Greater Chicagoland area. She is an expert at SelfGrowth.com and also blogs regularly about communication and vocabulary at www.BeyondTalk.blogspot.com. Her e-workbook, "Speak Your Truth: How to Say What You Mean to Get What You Want," is available online at http://www.speak-your-truth.com/.

Mark your calendars! FREE Webcasts with Donna Eden & Melanie Smith

Dear Yin Weavers,

Get out your calendars and mark the dates. 

On Tuesday, July 13th at 9pm Eastern and 6pm Pacific, you can hear Melanie Smith, acupuncturist and faculty for Eden Energy Medicine Certified Practitioner training speak on Energy Medicine via Webinar. 

On Thursday, July 22nd at 9pm Eastern and 6pm Pacific, join Melanie's mentor, Donna Eden, author of two award-winning books on Energy Medicine, for a Webinar.  She will be discussing her work and answering your questions.














In both cases, you can submit questions ahead of time, or simply listen.  To sign up for these amazing FREE events, go to Quantum Healing and Soul.  I wish I could be a bug on the wall, but I will be in Parts Europe on both these dates.  

Blessings,
Rose

Gretchen Rubin Makes Happiness Look EZ

Dear Yin Weaver,

Have you heard of Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project? I think it's really great, and I want to share with you one of Gretchen's recent posts. She makes stress-busting sound so EZ!

Stress Relief: 10 Extremely Simple Tips to Eliminate Stress in Your Day

When I was little, I was always puzzled by the maxim, "A stitch in time saves nine." I couldn't figure out what that meant. Finally, light dawned: A single stitch, made in good time, saves the trouble of making nine stitches later. In other words, a little effort now saves a lot of effort later.
That notion underlies several of the stress relief tips below. The other notion: When I have a reasonable amount of energy, life feels a lot less stressful.

1. Keep some cash in the house. For years, I badgered my husband to get cash so we had cash in the house. Finally, light dawned: Why did I get to decide that this was his problem? Now I get cash when we need a reserve, and I feel much better.

2. Never let your car's gas level fall into the "empty" zone. Special note to my fellow under-buyers: If you can afford it, fill the tank! Save yourself from having to return to the gas station in two days.

3. Have an over-the-counter pain reliever at hand at all times.

4. Put your keys away in the same place every day. This sounds so easy -- and it is. It will make you so happy.

5. Turn out the light as soon as you're sleepy. Since I started my happiness project, I've become a sleep nut. Getting enough sleep makes a huge difference in my sense of energy and cheerfulness.

6. Walk around the block.

7. Take 10 minutes before bed to tidy up.

8. If you have to pack a lunch for anyone, get it ready the night before.

9. Have at least one good friend who lives in the neighborhood.

10. Make your bed. This sounds trivial, I know -- but try it, it really helps!

Samuel Johnson pointed out that "To live in perpetual want of little things is a state, not indeed of torture, but of constant vexation." By making the effort to stay on top of the little things, you can keep the vexation to a minimum.

What am I missing? What tip would you add to this list?

Yes, I have a tip to add. When you've bitten off more than you can chew, repost somebody else's blog. Make sure it's someone you admire, and make sure you give them credit.

By the way, that's a picture of me with my friend Dawn, entertaining a party of parrots. I have several versions, but I like this one best. The palm fronds make me look like I'm sporting a tropical halo, with a particularly colorful Holy Spirit perched on my head!

Blessings,
Rose

So, did you miss me?

Dear Yin Weaver,


What, I need an excuse? Give me a break. I'm leaving on vacation in ten days. I've got a list of things longer than both my arms to get done before then. I have to write this blog (which is obviously late), and next week's blog. If I want to be super efficient, I have to write two more blogs beyond that to post while I'm gone. Guess what, that's not happening (well, maybe it will; I'm feeling very super-over-achieve-y). I also have to write my Constant Contact newsletter for August. I have to resend my Summer Special email. I have to write a flower essence article on Chrysanthemum. That's a lot of have-to's, all of which have to be done by July 7th.

But here's the bottom line. After a bit of reflection, I realized last Friday I had indeed, as the proverb says, bitten off more than I can chew. So I will be delaying my promised Five Element Series until I return from Europe. I do hope you'll stand on the widow walk, watching for my return.

Meanwhile, I'm going to share with you an article I wrote about Donna Eden.

A Bouquet for Donna


I’ll never forget the first time I met Donna. I was attending a week long conference on Energy Psychology. It was a series of fascinating keynote speakers, a whirlwind of breakout sessions introducing me to a myriad of energy psychology techniques, and evenings full of spoon-bending parties, poolside parties and other special events. By Friday afternoon my mind may have been the healthiest it’s been in a long time, but my body, as they say in the hood, was trashed.


Then Saturday morning came. Donna was giving a post-conference day long class that day. I’d signed up for it on a whim. I had read part of her book, and her approach to energy medicine sounded intriguing to me. But could I stand another grueling day of balancing my energy?


As it turned out...

As it turned out, you read the rest of the article at here. 

If I don't pull off being super-over-achieve-y, you will see me again the first Friday of August.

Blessings,
Rose

Next Eden Project Series--What Element are You?

Dear Yin Weaver,

Starting next week I will introduce you to the Five Elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Philosophy.  You'll have an opportunity to take a number of polls and quizzes that will help you determine your primary Element.  Although we are a blend of all five Elements, understanding your primary Element can help you appreciate your physical attributes, health patterns, personality traits and much more. 

If you took this week's quiz, you may be wondering what food preferences have to do with the Five Elements.  Well, what you like to eat can give you a clue to your primary Element.

If you like to eat predominantly sweet tasting foods, such as sweet potatoes with brown sugar, you might be an Earth Element.

If you like to eat predominantly bitter foods, such as green salad with vinegar and oil, you might be a Fire element.

If you like to eat predominantly salty foods, like salty nuts, you might be a Water element.

If you like to eat predominantly sour foods, such as tilapia with lemon, you might be a Wood element.

If you like to eat predominantly spicy or tangy foods, such as raw green peppers, you might be a Metal element. 

Finally, if you can't settle on a predominant taste preference, imagine you have a plate of food in front of me, and it had a slice of raw pepper, fish in lemon sauce, a dish of salted nuts, salad with vinagrette, and a sweet potato, what would I eat first, second, third, fourth, fifth?

Even then, it can be confusing. For instance, I'm Metal/Water. I do prefer salty foods over sour or bitter foods. However, I much prefer a sweet potato over almost anything, and although I like mildly spicy foods, you'll never see me eating a raw green pepper! 

But there's more to come, and when you put the whole puzzle together you'll have a much better answer to the question "what element are you?" 

Keep coming  back, and if you want to keep track of your poll answers here, along with your guesses as to your element, please do!

Blessings,
Rose

The Eight Week Meridian Challenge: Let Go and Get Inspired!

Dear Yin Weaver,

Congratulations!  You are about to complete the Eight Week Meridian Challenge.  Hopefully you have taught yourself to trace them, and have found your life to be more confident, purposeful, passionate and nurturing.  Today you will learn to trace the Metal element meridians Large Intestine and Lung.  When these two meridians are balanced, you are able to let go of the past gracefully and live with a spirit of inspiration. 

Large Intestine Meridian (5am-7pm):  A common problem in the large intestine are constipation.  We all know how uncomfortable that can make us feel physically.  But ask yourself what you may be holding onto that is toxic not only literally, but figuratively.  That also can lead to being very uncomfortable emotionally, mentally and spiritually. 

Here are some examples of an unbalanced Large Intestine meridian.  We may find it hard to let go of past grudges, losses.  We may stuff our painful emotions and memories.  Our lives may be cluttered with unnecessary "things" to which we are too emotionally attached.  Unbalanced energy in this meridian can affect our ability to reach our goals.  Have the fruits of our labors spoiled?  Or have the good things we've tried to accomplish become rotten?  Balance this meridian and you will be able to live more effectively in the present, fueled with energy to step into your future. 

To trace this meridian place the open fingers of one hand at the end of thee pointer finger of the opposite hand, trace straight up the arm to your shoulder, cross the neck to beneath your nose, and go out to the flare of your nose.  Do both sides will repeating the words, "I let go of guilt, shame and fear.  I live fully in the NOW!" 

Lung Meridian (3am-5am):  We can live without water and food for a week or two.  But we will die within minutes without air.  What would happen, also, if our lungs did not purify the air we breath?  We could get sick with a whole host of ailments, such as asthma, bronchitis and cancer.  Without air we couldn't express our thoughts or feelings either, which means healthy lungs are crucial to our emotional and creative lives as well. 

Similarly, our Lung meridian draws chi--what I like to call "the air within the air"--into our souls, and releases stagnant chi from our souls.  Without this vital function, we would be lacking inspiration, and the capacity for deep, soulful expression.  Purity of mind and heart would elude us, as well.   

Place one hand over the opposite lung and move it up over your shoulder, straight down your arm, and off your thumb.  Do both sides will repeating the words, "I breathe in fresh chi and inspiration.  I breathe out stale chi and grief." 

I mentioned in another post that the best way to trace your meridians is to trace all fourteen of them in order of their time of greatest influence.  Always start by tracing Central and then Governing meridian.  Then move to the meridian that is active at the time of day you are tracing it.  So, for instance, if you are tracing your meridians at 6 am, you would trace Large Intestine Meridian.  Below, for your convenience, is a list of all twelve organ meridians (remember, Central and Governing don't have a specific "time" during which they operate; they are always "on"), starting with Kidney. 

Kidney                 5pm to7pm
Circulation/Sex     7pm to 9pm
Triple Warmer      9pm to11pm
Gall Bladder        11pm to 1am
Liver                     1am to 3am
Lung                      3am to 5am
Large Intestine       5am to 7am
Stomach                7am to 9am
Spleen                   9am to11am
Heart                   11am to 1pm
Small Intestine        3pm to 5p

If you don't remember how to trace them, just refer to my posts starting May 7th. 
And now for the moment you've been waiting for.  What do the answers to my poll mean?  Well I'm not going to tell you!  At least, not in this post.  Honestly, as much as I like to write, I realize reading material like this can be a little deadly, and if you've gotten this far, well...you should be darn proud! 

So I'm going to sign off now and then do another short blog on the poll, which will introduce the next Eden Project series.  Stay tuned.  And leave me a message, why dontcha?

Blessings,
Rose

Free Teleseminar on July 13 with Melanie Smith

Dear Yin Weaver,

If you want to hear it live from one of my favorite teachers of Eden Energy Medicine, check out this F*R*E*E teleseminar on July 13th.  Shifra Hendrie interviews Melanie Smith, Doctor of Oriental Medicine and  Eden Energy Medicine Advanced Practitioner, who shows you how to create your own compelling personal vision of wellness. She will also share insights of her new energy technique Harmonize the Fire for stress reduction, adrenal exhaustion and hormone balancing.

By the way, this is just one of many talented speakers Shifra will interview during her Teleseminar Intensive between June 16th and July 22nd, including Donna Eden.  Go to Quantum Healing to register. 

Blessings,
Rose

The Eight Week Meridian Challenge:

Dear Yin Weaver,

What is the value of tracing your meridians? When meridians become unbalanced, they can carry too much or too little energy to the organs, and they can create emotional havoc. Tracing them smooths and evens the flow of energy throughout the meridian system.  The result is optimal health and well being.

Donna Eden says in her book Energy Medicine, "As you pass your hand over a meridian, you are aligning your hand's energies wih the meridian's energies, like the moon pulling the tide." 

But how do you trace meridians?  Easy.  Rub both hands together vigorously and then shake them off.  Use an open hand, palm facing the body.  You can touch the meridian line or stay within two inches of it.

This week let's learn how to trace the Stomach and Spleen meridians, which sit in Earth element.  Earth Element is about our foundations.  These two meridians contribute greatly to being grounded and sturdy, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.  They can also contribute to being stuck and toxic.  Yuck!  Tracing these two meridians can keep you moving forward in life full of health and vitality.      
 

Stomach Meridian (7am to 9am), according to Touch for Health founder John Thie, takes in new new feelings, thoughts, experiences for just the way the stomach takes in new materials, sees what is available and tags it for use in other functions of the soul and body.  Sometimes, however, we don't pay attention to what we "eat," whether it be food, a feeling, a thought, and experience, or something else.  Then the Stomach meridian can be overwhelmed by elements that are poisonous to our spirits.

If you have stomach trouble, don't always assume it's because of what you eat.  Ask yourself, "What is difficult for me to swallow?  What's making me sick to my stomach figuratively?  What is it I can't stomach, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually?" 

Because the energy of this meridian moves from the top of the body down and off the second toe, a balanced Stomach meridian also helps us stay well grounded.  If you need to stay more grounded, balancing this meridian can be very helpful.

To trace Stomach meridian, place both hands underneath your eyes, drop to your jawbone, circle up the outside of your face to your forehead, come down through your eyes to your collarbone, go out at your collarbone, over your breasts, in at your waist, out at your hips, straight down your legs, and off the second toes.  Repeat this affirmation while you trace it, "I have both feet on the ground; I am balanced and centered."

Spleen Meridian (9am to 11am) takes the raw "energetic materials" received by the stomach and transforms them into useable forms which are then distributed throughout the body and spirit.  When Spleen meridian is balanced, it sustains us physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.  It nurtures us, in a sense, like a mother.

When Spleen meridian is out of balance, we may have trouble finding the sweetness in life literally (think diabetes) and figuratively.  We may not be able to break down problems into manageable parts.  Our bodies and spirits may be working too hard to detoxify from toxins that can impact our immune system.   Exhaustion in body and mind will be the result.   

To trace Spleen meridian, start at the outside corners of each big toe and go straight up the inside of your legs, flaring out at your hips, up the outside of your rib cage, and down to the top of the rib cage.  Repeat this affirmation while you are tracing, "I nurture myself with love."

We have been racing through these meridians over the past month, and I've heard nary a peep from anyone.  Who out there has been trying to trace these meridians?  Are the directions for tracing them confusing?  Do the pictures help?  How has tracing them helped you?  What have you noticed? 

Do you know what Element you are?  Well, you'll notice I've added a survey to my blog.  Each week I'm going to ask a question, and the next week I'll let you know what Element matches each answer.  After awhile you'll start to see a pattern in your answers that might help you determine your Element. 

Yes, you can only choose one, so ask yourself what you would want to eat if if was your last meal on earth. 

Blessings,
Rose

Wish You Could Sleep Like a Baby? Here's How

Dear Yin Weaver, 

I'm in complete agreement with the Psalmist who proclaimed we are "fearfully and wonderfully made."  However, sometimes I'm puzzled by the design logic. 

For instance, as you might remember from my second blog on the topic of meridians, each meridian has two hours during the day when it is most active.  In the case of Triple Warmer, the meridian that gets activated whenever there is a crisis, danger, illness or some other cause for the "fight or flight response," is most active between 9pm and 11pm.

So, right when your body is starting to wind down and prepare for sleep, Triple Warmer is getting juiced up.  That sounds to me like a design flaw.  In addition, from 11pm to 1am, your Gall Bladder meridian is most active.  This is the meridian that is always thinking about things, planning, problem solving, looking over things, mulling, judging, evaluating.  Just when you would rather turn off your mind, the meridian most ready to help turn it on is juicing up.  Sounds problematic, doesn't it?

Well, actually, no.  Think about it.  Sleep is a time when we solve problems and make discoveries.  For instance, Elias Howe invented the sewing machine in 1845. He had the idea of a machine with a needle which would go through a piece of cloth but he couldn't figure out exactly how it would work. He first tried using a needle that was pointed at both ends, with an eye in the middle, but it was a failure. Then one night he dreamt he was taken prisoner by a group of natives. They were dancing around him with spears. As he saw them move around him, he noticed that their spears all had holes near their tips. When he woke up he realized that the dream had brought the solution to his problem. By locating a hole at the tip of the needle, the thread could be caught after it went through cloth thus making his machine operable.  He changed his design to incorporate the dream idea and found it worked!

However, there are times when Triple Warmer and Gall  Bladder meridian are out of balance, and the result can be tension, tossing and turning, and loss of the much needed, restorative sleep.  When you find yourself unable to fall asleep, try this easy and restful exercise.  By the way, this can help to boost the Thyroid gland as well. 

The Sweet Dreams Triple Warmer Neurovascular Hold

1.  Do the Triple Warmer Smoothie.
2.  Place your hand lightly just over the hollow of the throat and inner edges of your collarbone.
3.  Rest your other hand lightly at your temple.  Both of these areas are TW Neurovascular points, and by drawing blood flow to these areas, you are stimulating a relaxation response in the TW meridian.
4.  Hold gently for four or five deep breaths, and then repeat on the other side...if you stay awake that long.

Frankly, this exercise works like knock-out drops on me.  Do you have insomnia?  I'd love to hear some success stories!  Tell me yours. 

Blessings,
Rose

PS  that's a picture of my cousin Lucero's beautiful baby Ivan

The Triple Warmer Smoothie--No, It's Not a Drink

Dear Yin Weaver,

 The Triple Warmer Smoothie may not be a drink, but it is definitely a way to unplug from stress and refresh your energies.  It will take you all of 20 seconds to perform, which is why you can do this between 2 and 1,000 times a day.  In other words, you can't overdo it, and the more you do it, the quicker you'll tame the tiger in Triple Warmer's tank!

Here are the directions to the Triple Warmer Smoothie, taken directly from the pages of Donna Eden's award-winning book Energy Medicine for Women: 

Triple warmer energy starts at the tip of the ring finger, travels up to the neck, behind the ears, and ends at the temples. You can use the electromagnetic energies of your hands to readily calm overactive triple warmer energy by tracing part of this pathway backward. Here are the steps:
1. Place your fingers at your temples. Hold for one deep breath, again breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.

2. On another deep in-breath, slowly slide your fingers up and around your ears, smoothing the skin while maintaining some pressure.

3. On the out breath, slide your fingers down and behind your ears, press them down the sides of your neck, and hang them on your shoulders.

4. Push your fingers into your shoulders and then, when you are ready, firmly drag them over the tops of your shoulders, and smooth them to the middle of your chest, with one arm resting on top of the other. This is the heart chakra. It brings you home to yourself.

5. Hold here for several deep breaths.

So, what do you think?

Blessings,
Rose

PS  if you just happened upon this blog, and don't know what the Triple Warmer meridian is all about, visit my recent post for the details.

The Eight Week Meridian Challenge: How to Stop a Panic Attack in Its Tracks

Dear Yin Weaver,

Panic Attacks happen suddenly. They fill a person with a sense of imminent doom, death or destruction. They usually strike when the person feels they are in a life-threatening situation from which escape is necessary. They may think they are experiencing a heart attack, or that an earthquake is about to occur, or something violent is about to happen. Situational Panic Attacks are triggered by situational stressors. These and are indicative of social and specific phobias, such as fear of heights or public speaking. Panic Attacks that appear without any specific cues are more likely to be indicative of Panic Disorder. You have Panic Disorder if you have recurrent panic attacks, and are persistently worried about future attacks, to the point you change your behavior in order to avoid having them. This can lead to Agoraphobia, the unwillingness to leave your home for fear you will have a panic attack. 

Last week I explained the Fire Element is comprised of four meridians. We dealt with the Small Intestine and Heart meridians, and how keeping them in balance can help us create a life full of heart and meaning. This week we're going to talk about the other two Fire Element meridians, Triple Warmer (yang) and Circulation/Sex (yin). Keeping them in balance can play a big role in helping you overcome panic attacks and generalized anxiety.

Circulation/Sex meridian (7pm to 9pm) sends energy to all the sexual organs. It assists many hormone-related functions, such as menstrual cycles, ovarian and uterine functions and prostate and testicular functions. It supports the ability to experience sex as pleasurable. Also known as the Pericardium meridian, it also supports the membrane sac which surrounds and protects the heart. Think of it as the meridian which helps us energetically connect sexuality with love. Finally, it is the meridian which helps keep the beat of the heart steady and appropriate, depending on the external and internal environments. The emotional polarity of this meridian is panic versus joy. When this meridian is balanced, our hearts are able to "leap with joy" appropriately. But when it is out of balance, our hearts may be racing with panic instead.

To trace this meridian, place the fingers of one hand a the outside of the opposite nipple, come up over the shoulder, go down inside the arm and off the middle finger. Do both sides while repeating the affirmation, "My heart leaps with joy."

Triple Warmer (9pm to 11pm) is so named because it is the overseer of the "three burners." The upper burner refers to the upper part of the body and includes the heart, lung and pericardium. The middle burner refers to the midsection of the body and includes the Spleen, Stomach, Gall Bladder and Liver organs. The lower burner refers to the lower section of the body and includes the Small and Large Intestines, the Kidneys and the Urinary Bladder. In essence, Triple Warmer is concerned with threats to the homeostasis of the system. It's primary goal is to maintain balance and create an environment wherein you are safe. It doesn't matter if the stress is external or internal, real or imagined. If Triple Warmer perceives a threat it goes into action. Whenever you experience the famous "fight or flight response," Triple Warmer is the meridian that goes into action, conscripting energy from other meridians to give you the edge you need to either stand and fight, or turn and run.

To trace this meridian, turn your hand over and starting at the ring finger, trace straight up the arm to beneath your ear, follow your ear around and behind, ending at your temple. Do both sides while repeating the affirmation, "I honor the warrior within. I am safe."

Tracing these meridians on a daily basis will restore energetic balance to them, which can help reduce the intensity, frequency and duration of a panic attack.  However, when you are in the middle of a panic attack, I can gaurantee you both of these energies will have too much energy.  Tracing them during an attack won't harm you, but it won't help you either.  You need to find a way to open the tap so the excess energy can drain away.  What do you do?  Simple!  Trace them backwards, a technique otherwise known as "flushing." 

There are other techniques to help quench the fires of Triple Warmer and Circulation Sex.  Stay tuned this week for additional methods for releasing excess energy from this Dynamic Duo.

Blessings,
Rose

How Do You Make a Good Decision?

Dear Yin Weaver,

Since we're on the topic of decision making this week, I thought I'd drop in a quick article here (see below) on the subject.  Of course, I know you can surf the web as easily as I can, but let me tell you...the hardest decision I had to make was choosing which article to cut and paste!  If you know of a better one, or have your own techniques for making a good decision, let me know! 

I found another website on decision making I decided was too complicated to reproduce here.  But it's worth checking out.  Here's a bit of wisdom from Decision Making Confidence:  We all have freedom of choice, but you will never have freedom of consequences.  Choose wisely.


Blessings,
Rose

Simple Laws for Making Good Decisions

from Good Decision Makers

Charles Foster, PhD

I have spent 10 years studying decision makers -- identifying 35 people who generally make good decisions and 35 people who frequently make bad decisions... then watching over time as they make big decisions.

My research has led me to two conclusions...

Good decisions come from disciplined thinking. If you follow the basic laws of decision making, most of your plans will work out. Think haphazardly when you make a decision and little of what you plan will pan out.

They are habit-forming. Each time you make the right decision, you gain the necessary self-confidence to keep making good decisions. That’s why following the laws of decision making is crucial.

Here are seven rules for making great decisions...

Focus on the most important thing. This seems obvious, but it is the decision-making principle that is most often violated. People overload the decision-making process with so many variables that what’s really important gets lost.

Example: Most decisions only require you to answer one yes or no question, such as, Do we launch this product? But then someone says, What about this? and someone else says, What about that?

What should have been a straight-forward decision gets confused by minor considerations. You lose the focus for making the right decision.

In every decision, one factor usually is the most important. Close your eyes, and concentrate on that element, forgetting all other considerations. Once you’re focused only on what’s most important, the odds are you’ll make the right decision. Everything else is a detail.

Turn big decisions into a series of little decisions. Some decisions appear overwhelming. You want to focus on what’s most important, but there are so many unknowns that your focus gets blurred.

Example: Taking a new job means learning new skills, moving to a new city, etc. With so many variables to juggle, you wind up making a bad decision -- or no decision at all.

Break that big decision into several smaller, more manageable decisions.

Take time to study the new employer in depth. Decide if it is a company you really want to work for. Spend a few days in the new city. Decide if you want to live there.

After you make all the little decisions, the big decision will essentially be made.

Base your decision on self-acceptance. Self-acceptance covers a lot of ground…

What you like.

What you’re interested in.

What you’re good at.

Any decision based on who you really are... how you really work... what you really like... probably will work out.

Problem: People think a decision will transform them from who they are to who they would like to be. Job offers aren’t measured by suitability -- as they should be -- but by whether they will make them better people. Their future becomes hostage to that lack of self-acceptance. A decision made under such circumstances is a disaster waiting to happen.

Ask yourself what you really like and what makes you comfortable. If the decision won’t add to your feeling of comfort, it probably would prove to be a bad decision.

Consider all the good things your decision can bring. Decision making is, for many people, an exercise in disaster avoidance.

Instead of making the decision that might cause something wonderful to happen, we often make the decision we hope will hurt us the least.

Reality check: There’s nothing wrong with running through possible negative outcomes when making a decision. It would be foolish to make decisions on the assumption that nothing could go wrong. But decisions turn sour when you fail to examine positive scenarios as well.

The decision-making process must be fueled by the possibility that your decision will lead to something wonderful -- a new career, a stronger marriage, etc.

Keep reworking the decision until you see it leading to something wonderful. If you rework the decision and nothing wonderful emerges, you risk making the wrong decision.

Get what you need to make your decision a success. Especially in business, this rule gets broken again and again. A meeting ends with the decision to do such-and-such, but no plans are made to implement the decision.

Example: Many dot-coms recently went under because they had no plans for obtaining all the capital they would need to feed the beast.

If there is no passion to implement the decision -- or if you know in advance that the resources you need won’t be available -- you haven’t decided anything. It is window dressing meant to satisfy someone’s ego or to be included in a report to show your department is on the ball.

Start with how you’re going to implement your decision and work backward.

Keep things as simple as possible. Even smart people break this law. Because they see the big picture, they want the decision to cover every issue that might arise. They draft plans so that no possibility is overlooked.

Reality: The more things that can go wrong, the more things that probably will go wrong. Keep the number of things that must go right for the decision to succeed to an absolute minimum.

Venture capitalists are justifiably wary of overly complicated plans for a new business. Business plans that are easy to grasp are the ones that are most likely to get funding.

Consider all your options. I have never met a decision maker -- good or bad -- who had checked out all possible options. Invariably, I come up with options never considered.

Example: Think back to when you mislaid your keys or your wallet. You convinced yourself that you had looked everywhere. But when you found them, chances are they were someplace you hadn’t looked.

Don’t assume you know everything there is to know to make a good decision. Talk to people who are more experienced about the subject than you are. Ask what they would consider when making the same decision. Not only will they present you with new options, their insights could completely change the way you think about the decision.

________________________________________

Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Charles Foster, PhD, MBA, director of The Chestnut Hill Institute in Boston, a research and consulting firm focusing on the psychology of business success. He is author of What Do I Do Now: Dr. Foster’s 30 Laws of Great Decision Making (Simon & Schuster).

The Eight Week Meridian Challenge: Do You Have Trouble Making Decisions?

Dear  Yin Weaver,

What are you doing today? 

I had a woman come to see me recently because she was couldn’t make up her mind about what to do today, or any day.  Every morning she would wake up, her mind ablaze with ideas.  Should she garden?  Should she paint?  Should she study history?  Should she read her book club novel?  Should she organize the pantry?  Should she practice yoga?  The list of possibilities seemed almost endless to her, and each one was so compelling, she felt pulled in a million directions.  What to do?  What to do? 

To start, I explained to her the belief we can multitask is a myth.  It is true the brain is able to switch its focus of attention at lightning speed.  But when it gets right down to it, we can only attend to one thing at a time.

Secondly, I told her not being able to choose suggested an imbalance in two of her four Fire Element meridians.  These two are the yang Small Intestine meridian and its yin counterpart, the Heart meridian.    

Small Intestine meridian governs the snake-y, 23 foot long part of your digestive system responsible for absorbing nutrition from your food and separating the waste material to be sent along to the large intestine.  This same discernment process happens on the Soul level as well.  Small Intestine meridian, when balanced, helps you to assimilate and make use of influences, subtle and not so, which you experience from within (dreams, fantasies, imagination, creative ideas) and without (the laundry list of daily experiences which demand moment by moment attention and response).  It also helps you to let go of distractions from what your Soul recognizes as nurturing and important.  The result can be a clear sense of purpose and creative output of energy towards accomplishing that purpose.  Unbalanced, these influences feel like energetic assaults on your awareness, leaving you with a bad case of situational-onset Attention Deficit Disorder.  What’s that saying?  The faster I run, the behinder I get.  Tracing Small Intestine meridian can help you pace yourself, and run your particular race with greater effectiveness.

Small Intestine Meridian (1pm to 3pm):  Starting at the little finger, go straight up the outside of the arm to your shoulder, drop back on your scapula, go over to your cheekbone, and back to the opening of your ear.  Do both sides while repeating the affirmation, “I know what I want and I am decisive!” 

We usually associate the heart with love, along with its sundry pitfalls and dangers.  So it’s no surprise that the Heart Meridian not only supports energy to the physical heart, but also reflects the energies of heartache and heartbreak, as well as love for ourselves and others.  However, when your heart is settled in regard to self and others, it can also turn its attention to considering what has “heart and meaning.”  The heart is your other brain, in fact, absorbed with important, value-centered questions.   Who matters to me?  What matters to me?  What do I care about?  How do I show that concern?  What am I passionate about?  For what do I have enthusiasm?  Where do I want to put my energy?  Strengthening our heart energy by tracing this meridian can help illuminate these questions for us. 

Heart Meridian (1am to 1pm):  Place your open hand underneath the opposite armpit in alignment with your little finger and trace straight down inside the arm and off the little finger.  Do both sides while repeating the affirmation “I love myself deeply and completely.”

Together, the Small Intestine and Heart meridians work in concert to help you discern, decide and focus  on what has heart and meaning while letting go of what feels empty and meaningless.  I had my client trace these two meridians several times a day every day for a week.  She was amazed by what a difference it made.   She felt calm, focused and able to make choices on a daily basis that felt supportive and purposeful.  I hope this simple exercise will do the same for you. 

Blessings,
Rose 

St. Ephraem said, "Prayer suppresses anger." Good idea? Bad idea? You Tell Me

Dear Yin Weaver,

I asked this question on my Fan Page (OK, Like Page. Still feels like a downgrade).  Apparently anger is one tough emotion to handle, because my question got a lot of attention.  The reflections are all listed below, but I'd like to hear more.  So I thought I'd make it an official blog, and see who else wants to weigh in on the question.

I'll throw in the definition of the word "supress" here to get you thinking, as that seemed to be the "hot button" word in St. Ephraem's comment. 

1.to put an end to the activities of (a person, body of persons, etc.): to suppress the Communist party.

2.to do away with by or as by authority; abolish; stop (a practice, custom, etc.).

3.to keep in or repress (a feeling, smile, groan, etc.).

4.to withhold from disclosure or publication (truth, evidence, a book, names, etc.). ... See More

5.to stop or arrest (a flow, hemorrhage, cough, etc.).

6.to vanquish or subdue (a revolt, rebellion, etc.); quell; crush.

Clearly, St. Ephraem lived before the invention of psychotherapy. But perhaps by "supress" he didn't mean a simple denial of anger, which is bound to backfire. I like to think he meant to stop or arrest your anger before it erupts like a lava flow, or a hemmorhage (see definition five). After all, anger at injustice well-expressed can change the world. Look at Ghandi.

Here's what all my fans (ok, my likers) had to say:

Susan Hargreaves Parker said:

Seems like a good thing to me, changes your outlook on life. Isn't that one reason we pray?

Karin Evans said:

I'd prefer to think that prayer offers us a possibility to release anger, gently.

Mary Lou Carta said:

Suppressing anger is not a good thing. The anger is still there. I think a better prayer would be to be able to understand the source of our anger and how to handle it in a Christian manner. Don't forget that there is such a thing as righteous anger. Consider Jesus and the money changers in the temple. I would say that he was past upset.

Rand Gholson said:

I feel if the prayer is directed towards suppressing anger, that is the likely outcome, then what do you do with the suppressed(compressed) anger? However if the prayer is directed towards manifesting freedom from anger and its relatives, wouldn't it be more likely that it is released and a more benevolent energy can be chosen to take it's place?

Clara de Luna (dontcha love that name?) said:

When prayer is an activity of expressing gratitude {either aloud with others, or in solitude} it most certainly does release us of some negative energy.

Susan Hargreaves Parker said:

I vote for No. 5, to stop or arrest, as in if the flow of angry feelings are likened to a hemorrhage or as destructive as a cough might be.

Lisa Davis said: 

Prayer is a conversation with God.....if that takes away your anger, then I say, PRAY ON!

And what about you?  What do you say?

Blessings,
Rose

Did Pele Need Anger Management Therapy?

Dear Yin Weaver,

Are you on Facebook?  If so, do you ever feel like me?  Do you ever get the feeling that maybe Facebook is just a giant figment of your imagination, and that maybe none of these friends you've made-but-never-met actually exist?

Well, last Saturday night I had the distinct pleasure of meeting one of my "Facebook Friends" Jason Poole, AKA "The Accidental Hawaiian Crooner" when he performed with June Tanoue, a hula teacher friend of mine here in Chicago.  What a delight! Read his blog here on his experience, and you'll see a picture of him with my friend June.

BTW, it's completely relevant to my topic this week on ANGER MANAGEMENT, because the chant and dance they shared was about how the goddess Pele destroyed her poor dear friend when she lost her temper and erupted volcanically, burning her to a crisp!

If only she had balanced her Gall Bladder and Liver Meridians first!!!!

Blessings,
Rose

The Eight Week Meridian Challenge: What Meridians Help You Manage Your Anger?

Dear Yin Weaver,

The subject of acupuncture meridians is vast enough to justify years of study and practice.  I'd like you to learn a little something new each week so you at least have a greater appreciation for your own fascinating energy anatomy.  This week I'd like to answer a question that often gets asked when discussing meridians named for organs that sometimes, er, go missing. 

The gallbladder is a good example.  Raise your hand if you've had your gallbladder removed.  Well, you're in good company.   Did you know gallbladder removal is the most common operation in North America?  Between the USA and Canada, each year more than 550,000 gallbladders go the way of all flesh thanks to gallstones. 

I find this news chafing, irritating, vexing, exasperating.  In a word, I find it galling.  Why?  Because it is quite possible to resolve a large percentage of these problems using natural methods. 

However, I digress.  The answer to that unasked question is that yes, even if you lose a particular organ, the meridian remains.  Although bathing particular organs with vital energy is the primary function of each organ meridian, they also serve other purposes.  One of these purposes is to create greater emotional balance.  Each meridian has an emotional polarity, as I've pointed out before. 

Some emotions are more pleasant to experience than others.  For many people, anger is not one of them.   How about you?  Do you feel uncomfortable expressing your anger?  Do you keep it bottled up?  Why is that?  Are you afraid you'll lose control if you start to get angry, or are you concerned what others will think of you?  Perhaps you believe you don't deserve to express what's on your mind.  Perhaps you have the opposite problem.  You are easily moved to rage, or are verbally attacking, sarcastic, even physically violent. 

Whatever the challenges you face regarding your ability to manage anger effectively, learning to balance the Wood element Gallbladder and Liver meridians may be helpful. 

John Thie points out the Gallbladder meridian is associated with the organ that stores and concentrates the bile from the liver.  Bile helps us with digestion, particularly of fats.  But have you ever heard someone described as "full of bile?"  That person is thought to be angry and bitter.  In a sense, the Gallbladder meridian also stores and concentrates the emotions of anger, rage and judgement towards others.  If these aren't metabolized properly, our anger can escalate out of control.  However, when the energy of this meridian is flowing easily, it can help you look at the world with kindness and mercy.

Gallbladder's yin counterpart is the Liver meridian.  Boy, talk about a multitasker.  Your liver has more known functions than any other organ in your body.  It is involved in blood storage, the menstrual cycle, sexuality, digestion, metabolism, storage, distribution of nourishment, filtration, detoxification and immune function.  It also drives the neighborhood kid's carpool to school every Wednesday.  So you know how those overachievers get.  Hard on themselves.  Guilty.  You know what I'm talking about, right?  When Liver meridian is in its flow, not only does it help to detoxify the body, it also helps to remove those poisons of the mind which  keep us from being as kind and gentle with ourselves as we would be with a newborn baby. 

Eventually you will be rockin' around the clock, but today we're going to jump around the clock.  Last week we learned to trace Kidney and Bladder meridians, both at their busiest between 3pm and 7pm.  This week we're going to burn the midnight oil with Gall Bladder and Liver meridians, both associated with the Wood Element. 

Gallbladder Meridian (11pm to 1am):  Place the fingers of both hands on the outside of your eyebrows, drop to the opening of your ears, take your fingers straight up about two inches, circle forward with your fingers, and drop back behind the ears.  Go forward again over ot your forehead, back over the crown of yoru head, and around your shoulders.  Leave your shoulders, take your hands to the sides of the rib cage, go forward on the rib cage, back on the waist, forward on the hips, straight down the outsides of hte legs, and off the fourth toes.

As you trace this meridian (and I promise you, it will never get worse than this meridian!), repeat this supportive affirmation:  "I assert myself peacefully and let go of judgment easily." 

Liver Meridian (1am to 3am):  Place your fingers on the insides of your big toes and trace straight up the insides of the legs, flaring out at your hips, up the sides of your rib cage, and back to above your ribs, in line with your nipples. 

As you trace this meridian remind yourself, "I am kind to myself." 










Blessings,
Rose

The Eight Week Meridian Challenge: Two Tips for Greater Hope & Courage

Dear Yin Weaver,

There are two basic facts I want you to understand today about the 12 organ meridians.  One, each meridian has a two hour period during which they are most active.  Two, every meridian is associated with one of five Elements (Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal), and each Element "houses" two to four meridians, half of which are Yin meridians and half of which are Yang meridians.

Here's a third point I think you'll find interesting.  The Yin (or feminine) meridians support organs or systems that are constantly at work in the body.  They are Kidney, Liver, Heart, Pericardium (or Circulation/Sex), Spleen and Lung.  The Yang (or masculine) meridians support organs that tend to work in bursts, then go back to the couch, pop a fresh beer and watch the rest of the football game.  They are Bladder, Gall Bladder, Small Intestine, Triple Warmer, Stomach and Large Intestine. 

I mean, really, is there no justice in the world? 

Today you're going to learn how to trace the Water Element meridians, Bladder and Kidney.  (By the way the directions below are straight from Donna Eden's award winning book, Energy Medicine.)  All the meridian pictures are taken from Acuxo.     

John Thie, founder of Touch for Health, points out in his book that the Bladder meridian is said to be the storehouse of emotions. When our physical bladders are full, their function is to empty excess waste. Bladder meridian, when balanced, also helps us to release excess emotion. When we aren't able to do that, sometimes the "backlog" of emotion can become so overwhelming it can lead to a state of despair. When balanced, it can flood our soul with hope.

Kidney energy, when balanced, helps us to manage effectively the "watery" aspects of life--emotions, mystery and spirit. If our Kidney energy is weak, we won't have the energy to move forward in life with the courage needed to master our emotions, live with mystery and grow our spirits' full potential. If you have trouble with depression or anxiety, strengthening these two meridians may be very helpful for you.

Bladder Meridian is most active between 3pm to 5pm.  To trace Bladder meridian, place both hands between your eyebrows, go up over the crown and down the back of your head and neck. Remove your hands from your neck, reach them back underneath your arms and as high as you can stretch onto your spine.  Trace your hands down either side of your spine to below the waist, jog in and up toward the waist, and then in and around your gluteus maximus.  Leave the meridian there and come up onto your shoulders, go straight down the back of your knees, in at the knees, down to the floor, and off your little toes. 

As you trace Bladder meridian, repeat this affirmation specifically designed to nurture Bladder energy:  "I am vital, hopeful and fully alive!" 

Kidney Meridian is most active between 5pm to 7pm.  To trace Kidney, place your fingers under the ball of each foot, middle finger in line with the space between your first and second toes.  Draw your fingers up to the inside of each foot, circle behind the inside of each ankle bone, and go up the inside of the legs and the front of the body to K27, the points beneath the clavicle at the top of the sternum.

As you trace this meridian, repeat this affirmation designed to nurture Kidney energy:  "I walk forward with courage." 


So now you have four meridians to trace this week!  Once you've learned all fourteen, I will tell you a particular order in which to trace them.  But for now, start by tracing Central and Governing meridian.  I don't think I gave you the affirmations for them last week.  Central's affirmation is "I am centered in spirit and truth."  Governing's affirmation is "I am grounded in gratitude and grace.  Then trace Bladder and Kidney meridians.

Happy tracing!

Blessings,
Rose

The Eight Week Meridian Challenge--Floating Down the River of Life

Dear Yin Weavers,

Welcome to the Eight Week Meridian Challenge.  Hopefully it will be more refreshing than challenging, as you learn the basics about your own meridian system, and a very simple technique for balancing it. 

Meridians may be considered esoteric in our culture, but they are considered part of mainstream medicine elsewhere.   Today, acupuncture is used in most hospitals in China to treat illness.  In Japan, some government employees are required to have their meridians scanned annually for imbalances as a way of detecting health vulnerabilities and prevent disease.  In her book Energy Medicine, Donna Eden says meridans can be thought of us "fourteen tangible pathways that carry energy into, through, and out of the body."  Hundreds of energy stations line these pathways, each one a well of electromagnetic energy and other subtle energies.  These are your "acupuncture points, " and can be stimulated with needles or pressure to help balance the flow of energy through them. 

In truth, you only have one meridian.  Those fourteen tangible pathways are actually part of a single meridian that runs throughout the entire body in one, long circuit.  They appear as twelve segments, however, and are named for a particular organ or system that they serve.  Imagine you are floating down a very long river in a tiny boat.  The river is named for each town through which it passes.  So, you pass through "Kidney Town," and for however long it takes you to float by, you are on the "Kidney Meridian River."  Now you are in Pericardium-ville for awhile.  Next thing you know, you're floating through Triple Warmer Whistle-Stop (watch out, the natives are fierce here).  On to Gall Bladder Burrough followed by Liver Burg and Lung City.  Just around the bend is Large Intestine Town.  After that is Stomach-ville.  Spleen City is the next stop, but you're already paddling your way to Heart Hamlet.  It won't be long before you see Small Intestine Town.  Finally comes Bladder Burrough, which brings you right back to where you started...Kidney Town. 

Two additional meridians, called Central (also known as Conception Vessel) and Governing, run through the very core of your body.  These two energies function a bit differently than the other twelve.  I think of them as the "yin and yang sprinkler system" for the other twelve meridians.  Governing, which runs up the spine, over the top of the head and to the tip of the nose, "juices" your yang meridians (Bladder, Gall Bladder, Small Intestine, Triple Warmer, Stomach and Large Intestine).  Central runs up the front of the body, lying just under the chakras, from the pubic bone to the lower lip.  It takes care of the yin meridians (Kidney, Liver, Heart, Pericardium, Spleen and Lung).  Donna Eden points out several other important qualities about these two meridians which set them apart from the other twelve.  One, they "open more directly to the environment," and "energies that surround you can enter and exit through them."  They also double as "radiant circuits" and can be sources of profound joy and peace. 

You'll be learning more about radiant circuits a little down the road.  For now let's just appreciate the fact you have a wonderful energy transportation system which, when balanced, can help to maintain your physical and emotional wellbeing.  Over the next eight weeks you will become intimately acquainted with each of your fourteen meridians, and you will learn one very basic method of keeping them in balance.  By the end of the eight weeks you will be able to trace all fourteen of your meridians! 

Let's get started.  This week you will learn how to trace Central and Governing Meridian.

Do you know what an Etch-a-Sketch is?  It's a toy screen filled with aluminum powder.  With a stylus you can drag the aluminum powder where you want to create pictures.  Well, I want you to think of your hands as styli, and your Central and Governing meridians as if they're filled with aluminum powder. 

To trace your Central meridian, place both hands on your pubic bone.  Firmly draw a line straight up the center of your body to just below the lower lip.  Imagine as you do that you are dragging fresh, life-giving chi up with you just the way an Etch-a-Sketch stylus would drag aluminum powder up.  To finish, press your finger tips in here to "lock in" the energies.  Repeat twice more.

To trace your Governing meridian, place both hands on your tailbone.  Firmly draw a line straight up the spine as far as you can.  Reach over your shoulder with one hand and attempt to touch the other hand.  If you can't reach it, imagine you can.  "Grab" the energy you've been pulling up and bring it up the rest of your spine, straight over the top of your head, and stop just below the nose.  To finish, press your finger tips in here to "lock in" the energies.  Repeat twice more. 

When Central meridian is out of balance, you might notice you're feeling vulnerable and insecure.  It's a great meridian to trace just before giving a public talk!  When Governing meridian is out of balance, you will lack the courage to move forward, or overcome problems.  Need more backbone?  Trace Governing.  It's possible you will start to feel more centered, secure and courageous if you trace these two meridians on a regular basis.  Try it and see. 

And as always, let me know.

Blessings,
Rose