Now That's Weird: Hefty Calves have a Leg-Up on Resistance to Strokes

Dear Yin Weaver,

I remember once when I was in my twenties I was walking down the street in a skirt.  Suddenly, a car full of black men drove by and started shouting something at me.  Sensing it was some sort of "dog-whistle"--and obviously short on self-esteem that day--I called out, "What?"  Because I didn't understand what they were saying.  So they shouted the compliment again.  "What," I called again.  Once again, they bellowed. 

I still didn't understand, so I turned to a gentleman walking next to me and said, "Did you hear what they were saying?"  "Yes," he replied, "they were saying 'look at them fat calves.'"  Well, this was long before the days that hearing "baby got back" was high praise, but I learned from some of my coworkers later that day this comment on my calf size was indeed appreciative. 

Needless to say, this little white girl was mortified.  At least now I can look back and laugh.   Not only that, as it turns out my "swimmers calves," as I like to call them, may be healthier for me: "Though it sounds counterintuitive, a French study found that women with small calves (13 inches or less around) tended to develop more carotid plaques, a known risk factor for stroke. The subcutaneous fat in larger calves may pull fatty acids from the bloodstream and store them where they are less of a risk factor, say researchers."


The author suggests sipping green tea to stay heart healthy is probably more useful than hitting the gym to bulk up those babies. "In a study of more than 40,500 Japanese men and women, those who drank five or more cups of green tea every day had the lowest risk of dying of heart disease and stroke."

Well, we're not in Japan, and with our problem with obesity, we are high on the list of at-risk nations for stroke:  "Over 20 million per year worldwide have a stroke and over 5 million per year die from strokes. In the U.S. about 700,000 people a year have strokes. 500,000 are first time strokes and 200,000 are recurrent strokes. About 61% of stroke deaths are women. Strokes are the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S. behind heart attacks and all forms of cancer combined."

It's quite possible, then, you may some day be in a position to help someone who is having, or who has had, a stroke.  So grab that cup of tea and read the following  taken from An Energy Practitioner's Guide to Medical Emergencies on how to identify when a stroke is occurring, and what you can do to improve the victim's chance of recovery.

STROKE SYMPTOMS:

Sudden numbness or weakness of the arm, leg, or face, especially on one side of the body
Sudden confusion, trouble understanding or speaking
Sudden trouble walking, loss of balance or coordination, or dizziness
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Sudden severe headache with no known cause

The symptoms of a stroke can be difficult to recognize, and this can spell disaster. The stroke victim may suffer brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say any bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:


Ask the person to smile
Ask the person to raise both arms
Ask the person to speak a simple sentence
If the person has trouble with any of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

WHAT TO DO FOR SUSPECTED STROKE UNTIL THE PARAMEDICS ARRIVE:

Medical Necessities: If the person has stopped breathing, administer CPR, including chest compressions if there is no pulse. This is the top priority.

Common Sense: Make the person as comfortable as possible.

ENERGY METHODS to help restore neurological balance:

Do a hook-up (one hand in navel, one hand on third eye, push in and pull up).

Push the middle finger of one hand into the person’s “power point” (indent at center base of skull where skull meets the neck) and with the other hand hold the K-27s firmly for at least a minute.

Hold the “electrical points” at the base of skull just above the neck (on either side of the power point) for at least a minute.

Do a crown pull

Do a frontal/occipital hold (one hand across the forehead area at the hairline, the other at the back of the head where the skull joins the neck) until you feel a pulse in the forehead. The top part of the hand on the forehead activates the liver neurovascular points (liver meridian feeds the heart) at the hairline and the bottom (across the eyebrows) activates the bladder neurovascular points (bladder meridian governs the nervous system).

Hold spleen neurovascular points (one inch above ear on either side of head) for one to two minutes.
The triple warmer strengthening points (TW3 & GB41, then TW2 & BL66) if the person appears to be leaving the body. Talk to the person and ask the person to stay with you. If you have help available, have another person pulse the K1 points on the bottom of the feet.
Even if you're not trained in Eden Energy Medicine, just doing a few of these according to the directions can be immensely helpful. 

If you are in the position of helping someone who has been a stroke victim, Donna Eden suggests the following: 

"Tracing figure eight energies helps the energy cross over from the left hemisphere to the right side of the body and from the right hemisphere to the left side of the body. It also helps energies cross over every part of the body, through the organs, even the cells. Another person can do this tracing of the cross-over energies (see the discussion of the Celtic weave in Energy Medicine Chapter 6). The stroke patient can also imagine the energies weaving. If possible, the person could trace figure eights of any size with a finger or a hand, or you could do it for the person by tracing the eights directly on or just above the body. Also, encourage the person to "doodle" by drawing figure eights on a piece of paper. This helps to imprint crossover energy patterns into the brain."

By the way, a figure eight is nothing more than the number eight lying on its side, or an infinity symbol:   ∞

Last but not least, you can increase your own heart health with Eden Energy Medicine by practicing the Daily Energy Routine on a--guess what--daily basis!  In addition, clear your heart chakra on a regular basis.  Check out my blog on the heart meridian as well for more tips. 
  
Blessings,
Rose

 

Now That's Weird! I'm Giving Money Away to Total Strangers

Dear Yin Weavers,

Once when I was in college a friend asked me to visit her in DC.  The cost of the bus ticket from Towson, Maryland to Washington was exactly $5.  Despite the fact I didn't have a nickel to my name, let alone a five bucks I agreed to visit her that weekend. 

You wouldn't think five dollars was much to sweat, and in the grand scheme of things it wasn't.  I could have borrowed it from someone (in which case I'd have to pay it back).  I could have asked my mother for it (in which case I would have to endure the maternal grilling).  I could have earned it (in which case I would have had a job, which I didn't). 

Or I could have prayed for it.  This is the option I chose.  Then I put the question of how I was going to find the fare in less than a week out of my mind and went about my business as a student.

A few days later I was going to lunch at the school's cafeteria.  Two girls were walking ahead of me.  Suddenly I saw a five dollar floor flutter to the ground at their feet.  At least it seem to be coming from their feet.  I picked it up and called out to them, "Hey, you dropped your..."  But they were long gone.  I sensed an opportunity.  I could claim this as my answer to prayer and scurry on into the lunch line.  Or I could follow the girls (who were passing by the cafeteria) and return the money. 

I chose to follow the girls back to their dorm a few minutes away.  Since I was behind them a little bit by the time I reached them they were in their room.  I knocked on the door.  One of them answered, a girl with dark hair whom I'd not met before. 

"Excuse me," I said, "you dropped this back by the cafeteria.  You or your roommate."  I waved the money in the air.

"No, I didn't," she replied.  "Hey, Anna (I made that up, I don't remember either of their names)," she called over her shoulder, "did you lose some money?" After a moment of silence the answer came back negative.  "Nope, it's not ours!  Sorry!"  And with that she shut the door on me. 

So I got my answer to prayer, and believe me...the answer wasn't the five dollars.  The answer was a sort of combo of "God loves you, Rose.  You are not alone" and the chorus from one of my favorite Stones songs: 

You can't always get what you want

you can't always get what you want

you can't always get what you want

but if you try sometimes you just might find

you get what you need.

You might think praying is a little too lazy to qualify as trying, but to a woman who has lost her job, or a man who is homeless and mentally ill, or a kid, say who was so abused at home growing up the thought of trusting in a loving God is as foreign as trusting a mother for five bucks...well, trust me, praying isn't all that lazy.  Sometimes finding the courage to say, "help me" is like lifting a two ton weight. 

I can't imagine how many silent prayers are out there right now for just a little help.  Just enough to prime the pump of hope.  Which is why I've decided to become a Kindness Investor for the week of April 10-16 right here in Chicago.  A Kindness Investor is someone who follows in the footsteps of Reed Sandridge who for 365 days (200 of which were jobless) gave $10 a day to a total stranger and then blogged about it at The Year of Giving.  Reed says anyone can do this, and I'm inclined to agree.  I mean, how hard can it be for a child of the sixties?  It's sort of like panhandling in reverse. 

I am sooooooooo looking forward to being someone's answer to prayer!  I  hope you'll follow my progress that week as I post my giving adventures on Reed's blog.  I'll send you friendly reminders, or maybe you'll just go ahead and start following his blog right now, or maybe you'll go here and like his page.  Or maybe you'll just cut to the chase and be a Kindness Investor yourself. 

Because you know it's weird to walk up to seven total strangers and hand away money.  But you know what's weirder?  Thinking money makes you rich. 

Blessings,

Rose

'America Is NOT Broke': Michael Moore Speaks in Madison, WI -- March 5, ...

Now That's Weird! Size DOES Matter...for Women, Too

Dear Yin Weavers,

If you're not packin' plenty, you may be thankful after reading the following.  The rest of you may not be so thankful.

What size is your bra?  A D cup may also spell diabetes: Women who wore a bra size D or larger at age 20 were one and a half times more likely to develop type 2 than those who wore an A or smaller, even after researchers adjusted for obesity, diet, smoking, and family history, in a 10-year study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. It may be that the fat tissue in a woman’s breast is hormonally sensitive and influences insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes, say researchers.

Prevent it: Incorporate high-intensity intervals into your exercise routine. In one study, adults who did six 30-second sprints on an exercise bike (resting for four minutes in between) improved their body's ability to metabolize blood sugar by nearly 25 percent after six sessions—enough to lower their risk of diabetes.

 For those of you who missed it, I posted a question on Facebook the other day that lead to a somewhat silly/somewhat useful conversation on how to manage sugar cravings.  Here's the question and here's what I got:

A couple of coolpeeps commented on my latest blog (about your smart fat), and it got me to wondering about cravings. I've found St. John's Wort helpful for reducing sugar cravings. Any other great ideas out there?

Sophie Hunter I found that sucking a clean pebble of amethyst help with any kind of craving. Put it in your craved for bottle if your craving is fluid. Make sure you cleanse the used pebbles by leaving them soak in salt water.

Anybody ever hear of that?  I did a little research on Amethyst Gem Elixir, and found this: 

The Eden Project Orgone Products sells the amethyst gem elixir: Our Amethyst Gem Alixir produces a calm, clear and focused mind. The stone for detoxification of Alcoholics, from the greek word 'amethustos' meaning 'non-inebriated' it has a dramatic purging... effect on the liver. Amethyst elixir acts upon the crown chakra, enhancing communication with higher aspects of self and helps in the overcoming of unwanted addictions. The elixir will supply your body with an overabundance of energy, reduce headaches and take pain away; aids in digestion and clears up the complexion. This versatile remedy also will stimulate the pituitary gland, facilitate the digestion of fats and sugars in regards to diabetes, relieve insomnia and hypoglycemia.

Oh, and the silly suggestion?

The Eden Project Sherri--all you need to do is put the words "Oreos & Milk" on a piece of paper and tape it to the side of a glass of water. The water will absorb the oreos and milk vibration. Drink up!

Donna Eden points out diabetes cannot be managed without keeping your spleen meridian strong. This is done primarily by sedating Triple Warmer (which drains Spleen chi) followed by strengthening Spleen Meridian. Refer to my earlier blog post to learn a quick way to sedate Triple Warmer. Other ways to strengthen Spleen meridian are listed here along with the page numbers from Donna’s book Energy Medicine:


1. Hold the acupressure points for sedating TW, followed by the points for strengthening Spleen (see p. 120).

2. Massage the Spleen neurolymphatic points on the torso (p. 84).

3. Hold the Spleen neurovascular points on the head (p. 274).

4. Tap the Spleen points (part of the three thumps in Chapter 3) several times a day.

5. Flush Spleen meridian by tracing it backwards one time and then forwards three times. You'll find a drawing on page 102.

6. Liver meridian is also often involved in diabetes (as well as hypoglycemia). You can follow the same basic steps described here for Spleen for balancing the Liver meridian.

7. Do the "Daily Energy Routine" to maintain better harmony in her body.

If you have Type One diabetes, you will probably always need to have insulin supplied externally. But I have seen these exercises be very effective in helping to keep sugar levels balanced and insulin intake reversed. I have also known people who have completely reversed Type Two diabetes following these exercises along with appropriate changes in diet and exercise.

And if you ask me, that's "sweet!"

Blessings,
Rose

Now That's Weird! Your Fat Has Brains

Dear Yin Weaver,

Well knock me over with a feather. Whoever thought fat was an endocrine organ? I mean, it's like finding out your slouchy, couch-potato brother just got accepted into mensa.  Yes, your fat is intelligent, in a common sense sort of way; it is always trying to help you know when you've got enough fat. 

Apparently, this "endocrine organ" releases a messenger called Leptin which tells the hypothalamus you've had enough to eat. I think, anyway. I'm a bear of little brain when it comes to reading scientific articles. So if you want to read it for yourself, and maybe draw a different conclusion, here's a fairly readable one on the subject of obesity and inflammation.

There's also a paragraph in that article that will tell you exactly why too much fat will lead to chronic inflammation, and that inflammation can lead to dementia later in life. Yet another reason to start a diet. Here's a little tidbit which says the same thing from the oh-so-much-more-readable article I keep quoting here.

Jeans size

Adults who have larger abdomens in their 40s are up to 3.6 times as likely to develop dementia in their 70s, even if they weren’t overweight, according to a study published in the journal Neurology. One possible reason for the link is that compared with subcutaneous fat (the noticeable fat that lies just below the skin), visceral fat (the dangerous fat that surrounds the organs) secretes more of the inflammatory hormones that are associated with cognitive decline.
Prevent it: Eat a portion-controlled Mediterranean-style diet. Research shows that the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) in foods such as olives, nuts, seeds, avocado, and dark chocolate prevent the accumulation of visceral fat.

Yeah, you just stick with that dark chocolate and those avocados, and your spare tire will soon be a thing of the past. Maybe. Because while your busy almost eating all the right foods (everyone cheats, right?), your stress level may be busy eating up all or at least some of the benefits. I'm telling you, this is a good article on obesity I'm quoting from. Listen to what it says about the relationship between inflammation, stress, cortisol and overeating:

The constant state of increased inflammation as described above then brings another hormone into play. That hormone is cortisol. Our adrenal glands react to this constant state of low grade inflammation by pumping out high amounts of cortisol. Under short periods of stress, cortisol is actually anti-inflammatory. It results in increases in blood sugar which gives us energy to fight a predator or a disease. However, when the body is constantly bombarded with high levels of cortisol, such as under chronic low-grade stress from work or social pressures, several deleterious effects occur. The first is that a “catabolic state” is created resulting in the breakdown of our muscle tissue for energy. This then triggers appetite, causing us to consume more calories than are needed. These excess calories are primarly stored as fat (especially visceral fat), due to high circulating levels of pro-inflammatory proteins like NfkB which block the effect of insulin, creating insulin resistance. High circulating levels of insulin promote further fat storage and prevent breakdown of stored fat.

What we're talking about here, people, is emotional eating, right? My husband and I started the South Beach diet a few months ago precisely because we were experiencing the results of insulin resistance--high cholestorol, high blood pressure, and an inability to lose weight. Well, I've lost weight and am loving the reappearance of my waist and a flatter tummy. My blood pressure is down, and I'm assuming the cholesterol is following suit.

What I'm not loving is realizing what an emotional eater I'd become in the past few years. I didn't realize I'd been giving myself all sorts of permission to eat whenever I felt stressed. Or to borrow an acronym from AA, whenever I was Hungry (emotionally), Angry, Lonely or Tired. So now I have to manage not only my weight but also my stress differently. Yet once again Energy Medicine comes to the rescue! Here're a couple of exercises I've found most helpful to dieting successfully. They're quick and dirty, and very effective. Try 'em! You'll like 'em!

Cover the Eyes

This exercise activates your radiant circuits, calms Triple Warmer and energizes spleen. If you’re dieting, but having a hard time breaking old eating habits (like emotional eating), do this exercise six times a day. Yes, six. It takes a nanosecond to do. A couple in the morning, a couple in the afternoon, a couple at night. Try doing it right before you eat.
• Place thumbs over index finger nails and hold "oh my God" points on the forehead with middle, ring, and little fingers until you take a deep sigh, yawn, or feel a release.

• Cover eyes with fingers. Inhale. Exhale.

• Inhale with eyes still covered. Exhale while dragging fingers across eyes and out to temples

• Inhale while dragging fingers up over ears, and exhale while dragging fingers down behind ears to shoulders. Hang fingers on shoulders at neck.

• Cross arms, placing fingers on opposite shoulders. Inhale, smoothing hands down arms to forearms. Exhale.

• Inhale, place hands flat across ribs under bust area.

• Exhale while sweeping fingers down legs and off feet at toes

• Inhale while sweeping fingers back up legs to under arms.

• Exhale while sweeping fingers down and off body at side of waist.

The second exercise will keep your adrenals healthy. A healthy adrenal will not dump the stress hormone cortisol into your system. Do this one from two to one thousand times a day. In other words, you can't overdo it.

Adrenal Neurolymphatic Massage

• Find your belly button.

• Move your fingers one inch out from, and one inch above your belly button.

• Massage deeply for 10-30 seconds.

If it hurts, it means you need it. You may be flirting with adrenal exhaustion.
Last but not least, I discovered a very inspiring on the use of energy medicine for weight loss, check out A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Scale, especially, June 2010 and on.

Blessings,
Rose

Now That's Weird! You're Wearing Your Heart on Your Earlobe

Dear Yin Weavers,

If you're wearing your heart on your sleeve, of course, it means you are making an open display of your emotions.  In terms of romance, this saying dates back to the days of jousting when knights would wear the scarf of their lady love tied to their arms.  However, Shakespeare also immortalized the phrase in Othello: 

But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve

for daws to peck at...

In other words, when you indiscriminately make yourself vulnerable, you leave yourself at the mercy of the jackasses...I mean jackdaws of life.  So be careful.  And meanwhile, pay attention to those ear creases.  It could save your life. 

Earlobe crease

Linear wrinkles in one or both lobes may predict future cardiovascular events (heart attack, bypass surgery, or cardiac death.) A crease on one lobe raises the risk by 33 percent; a crease on both lobes increases it by 77 percent, even after adjusting for other known risk factors. Though experts aren’t exactly sure, they suspect a loss of elastic fibers may cause both the crease and the hardening of arteries.

Prevent it: Keep your heart healthy in other ways: Slim down, and lower your cholesterol and blood pressure.

Believe it or not, you could help save a life using energy medicine in the case of a suspected heart attack.  For starters, if the person is not breathing, administer CPR.  If they are breathing, make them comfortable.  Then follow these basic steps outlined in the article An Energy Practitioner's Guide to Medical Emergencies:

Do a “hook-up” (one hand in navel, one hand on third eye, push in and pull up).

Strengthen the heart meridian by tracing it forward. As you come to the end of the meridian, rapidly twist the ends of the little fingers back and forth with some pressure.

Deeply and vigorously massage the heart neurolymphatic points between the 2nd and 3rd ribs, just below where the collarbone and breastbone meet, especially if the person is unconscious. Do not do this massage for more than 10 to 15 seconds.

Hold one hand over the heart area and press deeply into the top of the pubic bone with the other hand for about 30 to 60 seconds (re-establishes electrical energy in the body and stimulates the penetrating flow)

Hold the triple warmer strengthening points (TW3 & GB41, then TW2 & BL66) if the person appears to be leaving the body. Speak calmly and ask the person to stay with you. If you have help available, have another person pulse the K1 points on the bottom of the feet.

Hold the spleen meridian strengthening points (Sp2 & H8, then Sp1 & Lv1).

If the heartbeat is erratic or if the heart is beating too strong, hold the small intestine meridian strengthening points (GB41 & SI3, then B66 & SI2).

If the person is conscious, stable and resting comfortably, hold the frontal neurovascular points to offer comfort until help arrives.

Don't know how to do all this stuff?  Well, you should learn!  Regional Eden Energy Medicine Classes are being offered all over the country.  I'm really excited one is being offered in Chicago starting in June.  Let me know if you are planning to take it!

Blessings,
Rose 

Now That's Weird! A Short Reach Could Mean Alzheimers

Dear Yin Weaver, 

Here's this week's weird news.  Read it and weep (or cheer, you long-armed luckies!).

Arm length

Have a hard time reaching the top of your kitchen cabinets? Women with the shortest arm spans were 1 1/2 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those with longer reaches, found a recent study. (Find yours by spreading your arms parallel to the floor and having someone measure fingertips to fingertips; the shortest spans were less than 60 inches.) Nutritional or other deficits during the critical growing years, possibly responsible for shorter arms, may also predispose a person to cognitive decline later in life, say Tufts University researchers.

Prevent it: Put your appendages to good use with a hobby such as painting or pottery. A five-year study from the Alzheimer’s Disease Center at Rush University Medical Center found that adults who spent the most time engaged in engaging leisure activities were more than two and a half times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those who spent less time challenging their brains.

Oh, good Lord, I'm in trouble! I'm not even 50 inches across! Fortunately I've got a lot of other good things going for me. I don't drink, I don't smoke and I eat well. I love puzzles. I exercise, and I'm in a musical recorder trio (they say it's possible people who play an instrument in a group setting, i.e. a trio or symphony don't get Alzheimer's).  We play Medieval to Modern music and are given to making highbrow jokes during our practice sessions. 
 
OK, read between the lines, people.  I'm a nerd.  A nerd who practices Energy Medicine and also goes to weekday mass, which makes me a pretty interesting and complex nerd, if you ask me. 
 
Still, the spectre of declining cognitive skills is one that haunts, especially as I watch my mother--a one-time brilliant doctor and watercolor artist--exhibiting signs of confusion, word-finding troubles and short-term memory loss in her late eighties.
 

Energetically there is plenty you can do to support brain functioning as well.  Stress can play havoc with our memory, for instance, because when we are "fightin' it or flightin' it" our brains are robbed of most of the blood and oxygen that helps us to think clearly, problem solve, take in information and remember things.  Here's an EZ exercise from Eden Energy Medicine that will help improve your memory while reducing the symptoms of stress. 

How to Keep Your Memory Sharp

For your memory to stay intact over the years, it is necessary for energies to flow freely through the suture lines in your skull. While these junctures tend to become less flexible with age, a simple procedure that will take about a minute each day can keep oxygen and cerebral-spinal fluids, as well as subtle energies moving through them:

1. Place your left hand over your heart and your right hand on the right side of your head, palm next to your right ear, fingers extended upward over your head.


2. Breathe deeply four times while holding this position - in through the nose, out through the mouth. Raise your body with the in-breath, relax it with the outbreath.


3. Move your right hand to the back of your head, and repeat the breathing.


4. Now place your right hand over the right side of your chest, your left hand by your left ear, and repeat the breathing.


5. Finally, place the palm of your left hand on your forehead with your fingers going up onto the top of your head and again use the same breathing.

Do this daily, perhaps when you first sit down at your desk, computer or TV, or while you are warming up the car, and you will not only be helping to retain your memory, you will be maximizing its effectiveness.

Well, that's all for today!  This is an extract from Energy Medicine by Donna Eden, btw.  You can buy the book and learn it for yourself, or check out their website for upcoming classes.  If you want to meet me, come on the Caribbean cruise in March.  I'll be a teaching assistant to Donna's five day training.

Blessings,
Rose

Now that's Weird! Leggy Ladies Have Less Liver Laments

Dear Yin Weavers,

Your liver is the largest physical organ in the body.  It is involved in digestion, metabolism, storage and distrubution of nourishment, filtration, detoxifcation, and immune function.  You'd think short legs wouldn't be a problem:  less body to nourish and protect.  But apparently that's not the case!

Leg Length Lament

If your legs are on the stocky side, you may need to take better care of your liver. In a 2008 study, British researchers found that women with legs between 20 and 29 inches tended to have higher levels of four enzymes that indicate liver disease. Factors such as childhood nutrition may not only influence growth patterns, but also liver development well into adulthood, say researchers.

Prevent it: Avoid exposure to toxins your liver has to process, which will keep it healthier, longer. Wear a mask and gloves while cleaning or working with any type of harsh chemical. Limit alcohol intake to one 5-ounce glass of wine or 12-ounce bottle of beer daily.

Saundra Bubniak also reminded me of how easy Energy Medicine can be for Liver Health:

A powerful, simple way for keeping your liver strong and clean while also supporting the flow of hormones through your bloodstream is to massage points on the hands and feet that stimulate liver function. Massaging your hands almost everyday, and massaging points on your feet whenever you take a bath, get in a hot tub, or sink into bed is a great form of self-care that not only helps your liver function better, it also keeps your hands and feet, which function as "energy antennae", open and clear.


Points on the feet that keep your liver clear are, the "V" where the big toe meets the second toe on the top of the foot, the area between the tendons of the two toes and the bottom of the foot at the same time, the areas on the top of the foot between the tendons of each of the toes, and after repeating on the other side, place your hands around the bottoms of each foot and squeeze the sides hard.

Finally, your liver is very important to hormonal health.  If you have PMS, sedating Liver Meridian can help immensely with groin pain.  The simplest way to sedate Liver Meridian is to lie down and place your fingertips where your legs attach to your body.  Rest for about two to three minutes.  See if that doesn't help. 

You can also sedate your Liver Meridian.  This is usually the most effective way.  Here's how: 

1.  Simultaneously place the middle finger of one hand on Liver 2 (inside of big toe where it meets the foot) and the other hand on Heart 8 (make a fist; see where the pinky touches the palm?  That's Hear 8).  Hold for two minutes.
2.  repeat on the other side.
3.  then place the middle finger of one hand on Liver 4 (a little dip in front of the anklebone) and the middle finger of the other hand on Lung 8 (on the crease of the wrist just below the thumb).

Don't panic about pinpoint accuracy.  Meridian points have a range of a dime to a quarter.  So if you have your finger in the general area, you're probably fine! 

Blessings,
Rose

Now that's Weird! Tall Women Die Younger

Dear Yin Weaver,

Check out this tidbit from Your Body's Ten Weirdest Health Clues.

Women taller than 5 feet, 2 inches may be missing a gene mutation that helps them reach their 100th birthday, according to a study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.


Prevent it: Take a page from the habits of California’s Seventh-Day Adventists, who have one of the highest concentrations of centenarians: Quit smoking, and cut back on alcohol and eating meat.

I'm not convinced I want to live to be a centenarian, but apparently--despite my 5'6"--I have a better chance because I'm a non-smoking, tea-totalling quasi-vegetarian.  Well, actually, a chickafishaturkatarian.

Changing habits can be hard, hard, hard!  Fortunately, there are more support systems available than ever before for people who want to quit smoking, drinking and overeating.  In addition, Eden Energy Medicine can help with this effective technique drawn from Traditional Chinese Medicine: 

The Temporal Tap

Begin by identifying a habit, attitude, or condition in your life that you would like to change. Then describe the change in a single sentence, and state it as an affirmation in present time as if the condition already exists. For example, you could say, "I joyfully receive abundance in my life," or "Right now, I am prosperous," or even "I always have more than enough money to pay my bills." Affirmations can be anything you wish to become true and operative in your life. They can be specific, such as, "I easily and successfully attract 5 new customers every day," or general, such as "There are plenty of customers for my services." And they can be used to increase success, no matter what your career choice: "I am making good money being a writer, artist, mechanic, hairdresser, etc."

It is important that the statements are in your native language or the one you are most comfortable with, in your own lingo, and aligned with your own values. For easy recall, make them short and to the point.

To perform the Temporal Tap, start tapping at your right temple in front of the ear canal and continue tapping on the scalp around the top edge of the ear until you reach the back center of the ear, just opposite where you started. The active spots are only along the upper half of the ear, from front center to back center. Tapping with all your fingertips bunched together ensures that all the points along the Temporal-Sphenoidal (T-S) line are stimulated. Say your affirmation while you tap; repeat this procedure three times.
Do this several times a day, waiting at least 30 minutes before repeating the same affirmation. You can tap for as many different affirmations as you wish as long as you can easily address them all several times a day. Reinforcement is part of the process. Once your affirmation has become a part of your life, you can replace it with a new one.

By the way, I shamelessly stole this information from an online article.  If you want to read it in full (well worth it!), click here.  You can also read Donna Eden's variation in her award-winning book Energy Medicine.

Blessings,

Rose



Now that's Weird! Finger Length Can Predict Risk Level for Osteoporosis

Dear Yin Weavers,

I found this interesting little tidbit online today.  What do you think of this?  Is not the body fearfully and wonderfully--and puzzingly--made?

Finger length


Women whose index fingers are shorter than their ring fingers may be twice as prone to osteoarthritis in the knees, found British researchers. Those with this predominately male characteristic tend to have lower levels of estrogen, which may also play a role in the development of osteoarthritis, say researchers.
Prevent it: Strengthen the muscles surrounding your knees. While sitting, straighten each leg parallel to the floor 10 times; hold each rep for 5 to 10 seconds.

As my mother-in-law used to say, "Innnn-ter-es-tinnnnggg!" 

Here's another exercise I used almost daily for about six months.  This Eden Energy Medicine tool is taken from Donna Eden's book, Energy Medicine for Women, and it reversed my osteopenia!   It'll take you less than two minutes, and is also good for trimming tummy fat.

The Bone Saver

1. Place your arms out in front of you, take a deep breath in, hold your breath, and push the heels of your hands hard against each other.
2. At the same time, squeeze your stomach in toward your spine, tighten your buttocks, and tilt your pelvis forward and up.
3. When you want to exhale, instead take three more rapid breaths in through your nose while holding the above posture.
4. Then exhale slowly, as if blowing through a straw (your stomach will tighten naturally).
5. When it feels like your exhalation is complete, blow three more rapid breaths out through your mouth.
6. Relax after each round.  Do several rounds.
7. Repeat the entire sequence, except this time bend the fingers of each hand, hook them into one another, and try to pull your arms apart so there is isometric tension at your fingers and in your arms and shoulders.

Peace and strong bones,
Rose

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