Spring Allergies

Improvement can be quick,  or it may take years to overcome the problem. The reason spring allergy is often very difficult to overcome, even with homeopathy, has to do with miasms, which are inherited weaknesses that we come in with. There are at least 3 different miasms, and if you have all of them, and they are really tangled up in each other, you become susceptible to spring allergy, or many other allergies for that matter. 


So when dealing with very complicated cases, the acute symptoms have to be addressed first, and then later, when allergy season is over, deeper, constitutional, underlying weaknesses have to be addressed, and slowly, slowly, layers upon layers of old inherited stuff have to be "peeled off". This can be a long process, and you may have to put up with some amount of discomfort during allergy season while the process is happening, since you can't use homeopathy and suppressive allopathic medication at the same time.

It is important, however, to look at what the real benefits are in the long run. Allopathic medicine offers short term relief for spring allergy, and long term worsening, since any suppression leads to deeper lying problems later. Homeopathy offers long term healing, even though the short term symptoms of your spring allergy may be bothersome during the process. So you have to decide what is more important to you - short term relief, or long term healing.

Sometimes the correct remedy that works for the acute symptoms is also the constitutional remedy 9fitting the person on all three levesl) and whenever that happens, the healing happens quickly.


But, for some, the use of homeopathy for spring allergy is a lot more complicated. Personally, I feel that it is still worth choosing homeopathy over traditional methods because the use of homeopathy on a regular basis will eventually make the body stronger and healthier since there is no suppression of symptoms involved.

Mo Morrish - Homeopath and Microbiologist

Mo Morrish - Homeopath and Microbiologist
Saturday, 26 May 2012
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© 2012 - Homeopathy Heals Me!

Mindfulness

How many of us consciously cultivate a sense of connection, calm and well being so that our day to day lives can have more meaning and ease? When we practice mindfulness we develop greater awareness, clarity and acceptance. A non-judgmental attitude can diffuse the tension in both ourselves and others.

Mindfulness is:

1. A capacity to be present, to be fully awake to life - Relationships become richer, connections more powerful as we actually listen and learn to speak from our direct experience. 
2. The art of paying attention, of listening to your heart. Rather than withdrawing from the world, meditation can help you enjoy it more fully, effectively and peacefully. 
3. Being in the present moment without judgment. 
4. A way of affecting and nurturing deep states of relaxation and of reducing stress - The practice of mindfulness brings a deep stillness that is profoundly relaxing and healing. 
5. An ability to be less reactive. 
6. A method for increasing concentration and focus in daily life

Instructions for Mindfulness Meditation Practice

The mindfulness meditation technique is a simple meditation procedure that can create a deep state of relaxation in your mind and body. As the mind quiets down, but remains awake, you will experience deeper, more silent levels of awareness.

Start by sitting or laying down comfortably in a quiet place where you will have a minimum amount of disturbance. Select a quiet time and place. Close your eyes gently and begin by bringing a full, present attention to whatever you feel within you and around you. Let your mind be spacious and your heart be kind and soft. Breathe normally, naturally, and gently allow your awareness to be on your breathing. Simply observe your breath, trying not to control it or alter it in any conscious way.

As you observe your breath, you may notice that it changes of its own accord. It may vary in speed, rhythm or depth; and there may even be occasion when your breath seems to stop for a time. Whatever happens to your breathing, innocently observe it without trying to cause or initiate any changes.

As you sit, feel the sensations of your body. Then notice what sounds and feelings, thoughts and expectations are present. Allow them all to come and go, to rise and fall like the waves of the ocean. Be aware of the waves and rest seated in the midst of them.

Allow yourself to become more and more still.

You may find that at times your attention drifts away from your breath and you are thinking about other things or listening to noises outside. Whenever you notice that you're not observing your breath, gently bring your attention back to your breathing. If during the meditation, you notice that you are focusing on some feeling or mood or expectation, treat this as you would any other thought and gently bring your attention back to your breathing.

Allow yourself to become more and more still.

In the center of all these waves, feel your breathing, your life-breath. Let your attention feel the in-and-out breathing wherever you notice it, as coolness or tingling in the nose or throat, as a rising and falling of your chest or abdomen. Relax and softly rest your attention on each breath, feeling the movement in a steady easy way.

Let the breath breathe itself in any rhythm, long or short, soft or deep. As you feel each breath, concentrate and settle into movement. Let all other sounds and sensations, thoughts and feelings continue to come and go like waves in the background.

After a few breaths, your attention may be carried away by one of the waves of thoughts or memories, by body sensations or sounds. Whenever you notice you have been carried away for a time, acknowledge the wave that has done so by softly giving it a name such as "planning," "remembering," "itching," "restless." Then let it pass and gently return to the breath. Some waves will take a long time to pass, others will be short. Certain thoughts or feelings will be painful, others will be pleasurable. Whatever they are, let them be.

At some sittings you will be able to return to your breath easily. At other times in your meditation you will mostly be aware of body sensations or of plans or thoughts.

Either way is fine. No matter what you experience, be aware of it, let it come and go, and rest at ease in the midst of it all.

After you have sat for twenty or thirty minutes in this way, open your eyes and look around you before you get up. Then as you move try to allow the same spirit of awareness to go with you into the activities of your day.

The art of meditation is simple but not always easy. It thrives on practice and a kind and spacious heart. If you do this simple practice of sitting with awareness every day, you will gradually grow in centeredness and understanding.

Be well,

gina

Selling Sickness

Why elimination of the symptom is NOT the same as elimination of the disease
Physicians and surgeons palliate symptoms instead of removing causes

Standard Western Medicine strives to suppress the immune response, working against the body. If there is a fever, lower it, if inflammation is present provide steroids to remove it and of course if Western Medicine thinks a bacteria or virus is present or doesn't know what is wrong, a dose of anti-biotics is provided. This way of doing things can be effective in the immediate term, and important in life threatening situations, but potentially devastating in the long term especially when over-used. Because, what eventually happens, is that immune system becomes weak and ineffective or damaged and over-reactive and disease is pushed deeper into the body to come back stronger and more difficult to get rid of at a later date. This is called  trading ACUTE disease for long-term CHRONIC disease, and it is one reason why so many of us are chronically ill today.



Jeffrey Levy, DVM - "The greatest harm of drug treatment is usually not so much the toxicity or side effects as it is the effects of suppression. Allopathic (conventional Western) medical thinking generally seeks immediate gratification: just make the symptom go away. So the patient may be better in the short term, but is usually worse in the longer term. Homeopathy is just the opposite: sometimes the symptoms are worse in the short term (such as with aggravation or the reversal of a previous suppression), but the real benefit is in the longer term. A symptom, say itchy skin, is the body's response to a deeper problem. When a symptom is suppressed, it is only the outward manifestation of the problem that goes away. Since the deeper problem is still there, the body may, in time, produce the same symptom again. Another possibility is that, as a result of the suppression, the deeper problem progresses to the point that a deeper, more serious symptom is produced. So the itchy skin may go away, but then chronic diarrhea develops. If the diarrhea is then suppressed as well, it may lead to, say, liver disease. But hey, at least the skin is cleared up! I see this pattern, or variations on it, very frequently in reviewing the medical records of new patients. It is the unrecognized, and often high, price that we pay for the quick fix, for immediate gratification, for the shot or pill that seems to make the problem go away."
 Antibiotics and Suppressive Therapies --  Healthy Lifestyle Choices


Dr. Bernstein DVM - "Modern medicine feels, in most cases, that the elimination of the symptom is the same as elimination of the disease. In allopathic medicine a symptom is usually thought of as the patient's real disease and the goal is to hold back, decrease or eliminate this symptom. This is often done without addressing the underlying cause. If your tooth hurts and we inject a local anesthetic, the pain goes away but that does not mean the problem is gone! If we use medications to suppress these symptoms then the vital force tries to create new symptoms to compensate for the imbalance that is still there. If the vital force is strong then the original symptom may return. Otherwise, it may be unable to express on the same level and create a symptom that is more interior and could be much worse perHerring's Law. One example is a skin rash that is treated with cortisone. The rash and itching will probably go away quickly. Later the patient begins to exhibit liver problems that "were caused by the cortisone". The liver symptoms are actually an expression of this suppressed imbalance on a deeper more interior level. Many things can be suppressive. Vaccines and allopathic medications are a major source of suppression where homeopathy is concerned, but herbs, acupuncture and incorrect homeopathic remedies can also be suppressive." 


When only the symptoms are treated, the underlying causes remain and the patient may develop a more serious, chronic condition.


True healing, natural recovery from disease cannot be forced. It is a process in which a person attains a higher level of health and the disease resolves naturally. This is what homeopathy is all about.


Homeopathy Beyond Flat Earth:
http://www.drdooley.net/Book.pdf

a new path

some of you know me from 'a bit of whimsy'. i have neglected my whimsical whisperings and temporarily abandoned my other blog. i will be back soon. in the past i have written about all things lovely, inspirational, vintage and anything gently tugging at my heart.

my personal health struggles however have led me down a new path. i have become an admirer, student and practitioner of a 200 year old medical art and science known as 'Classical Homeopathy'. it involves soul as well as body. after a long struggle with chronic fatigue and systemic candida, i  reclaimed my reservoir of inner strength

since i was 2 years old it was clear that i wasn't a quitter. this time i became close! giving up would have been easier. there were days i was prepared to crawl under a river-rock and share it if i had to with a slimy earthworm to lick my wounds. or just disappear into the clouds. anything was better than facing daylight and being stripped off my identity, my freedom to be creative, my usefulness as a mother and otherwise. i think when you are robbed off all your vital energies you eventually fold, or you begin searching and reach in more deeply.

i always believed that our physical health is directly linked to our mental and emotional state. so i began searching for this connection in more depth. it was nothing big like global issues, war and peace or world hunger, but big enough to wreck my body of its proper function and harmonious, baroque like rhythm. i looked inward, resolved family issues, tried harder to communicate my needs. made peace with old nagging thoughts of hurt or guilt.


and since i like to read. i did that. i read the  lessons on mindfulness in medicine, began to read about natural approaches to cure,  homeopathy and all its powers, about detoxing. i visited a professional homeopath. and than something extraordinary happened:

i healed. by then i had learned a lot:

lesson #1: listen to your body, and honor what it needs!
lesson #2: the first step into healing, is the willingness to heal.

my life has changed. i started an affair and fell deeply in love with homeopathic medicine. i took the leap and began an intensive 4 year study at the homeopathic academy in san diego, california. now i'm continuing my studies at the international academy of homeopathy (alonissis, greece). i am finishing my clinical education in santa cruz, california.

this blog is a documentation of my discoveries, studies and beliefs. i will talk out loud about vulnerability, natural cures, the connection between body and soul and about being imperfect.

i invite you to join me on a path to healing. as in any journey, there is risk; any deepening of character necessitates a loss. nonetheless, initiating such a journey remains a watershed, an outpouring of unanticipated grace, an indelible opportunity to drink from the deep well of your life.” Heal Thyself: Lessons on Mindfulness in Medicine by Saki Santorelli


be well,
gina

The Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is a food and a medicine. It is uniquely beneficial to our health. You can take it as a supplement, use it in cooking, or apply it to your skin. The benefits of coconut oil are endless!

The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength. These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc.

• Substituting coconut oil for vegetable oil in all your cooking is one of the best things you can do to help your thyroid gland, control your weight and brighten your mood.
• Coconut oil increases the body's metabolism, as it takes more energy to metabolize the medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) than the MCFAs provide. Eating meals containing MCFAs can increase your metabolic rate. When MCFAs are consumed, they are immediately converted into energy by the liver, not circulated in the bloodstream as lipoproteins, which then may be deposited as fat.
• A diet composed of saturated and monosaturated fats (butter, lard, coconut oil and olive oil) helps protect against heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and many other degenerative diseases.
• Heavy metals and other toxins in the body are eliminated by binding to dietary fats such as coconut oil, butter, and olive oil.
• Coconut oil contains the right kinds of fats that insulate the nerves, helping them to function normally.

So go ahead and enjoy it daily. It will help you:

1. Strengthen your immune system

2. Improve your digestion

3. Prevent premature aging of your skin

4. Promote healthy weight loss permanently

5. Protect against many degenerative diseases

6. Detoxify and heal your body through oral cleansing

7. Improve your health

8. Beautify your hair and skin

9. Experience Nature's ultimate germ fighter

10. Recognize coconut oil as both a food and a medicine

 Feel free to share your own tips. In my next post i will talk about the overuse of antibiotics and what it does to our health. 
be well.

What do we do with the flu ?

Hi everyone - my family is sneezing how about yours ?

Here are a few tips for you regarding acute infections and the flu.

The importance of a healthy life style and a good constitutional remedy cannot be overstated. The best defense against acute and chronic illness is your constitutional remedy selected for you by your homeopath. There are things we can do to build up our immune system so we can better fight these nasty bugs. It takes both a susceptibility to the virus or bacteria as well as the exposure in order to get sick. Both of these parameters can be influenced by the choices we make:

1) Sleep. Rest. Eat well.

2) Vitamin D: " The sunshine remedy" is most likely responsible for your depletion. It is the most beneficial vitamin for disease prevention. Most people are deficient due to a lack of regular exposure to sunshine. Evidence suggests that taking vitamin D (as D3 cholecalciferol) is an effective flu preventions strategy.

3) Vitamin C - up to 6000mg

4) Influenzinum: A number of studies show that taking Homeopathic Oscillococcinum 200c or Influenzinum 9c or 30c once a week during outbreaks can prevent the flu. I generally use 30c as a prophylactic potency, and use 200c in actual flu cases.

My clients who are seniors, or for elementary or pre-school age children who have such a breadth of exposure, it is advisable to take a dose of Influenzinum 30c once a month from November through March as a preventive measure. Also, if anyone in the household gets the flu, I suggest to my clients that everyone in the house take a dose of Oscillococcinum 200c - this can provide short term immunity and prevent the flu from making the rounds through all the family members.

5) Garlic in any form is an excellent addition to the  infection fighting arsenal. The very best is raw organic garlic. This is pretty intense  but eating it raw will give you the most benefit. It helps to slice it up and take it with a little bread or other food. An ideal dose would be 2 to 4 cloves per day. Of course, you will stink but the microbes won't like it either.  One caution: don't leave raw sliced or chopped garlic in contact with your skin or mucous membranes (e.g., mouth) for longer than it takes to chew it up and swallow.

Recommended adult doses:

Vitamin C – 1000 mg 6 times a day

Vitamin D3 – 2000 I.U. per day

Black Elderberry – ½ dropper 4 times a day

Oil of oregano and Olive Leaf Extract

For children cut down the doses proportionately by weight. 

All of these supplements should be available at Whole Foods stores or integrative pharmacies or Coops.

 In stubborn cases, during or after the Flu: If you have severe limiting symptoms, they may be resolved with specific remedies, depending on your symptoms. Note: these should be taken at a 30c potency:

• China: physical weakness after the flu with lots of sweating, and possible depletion from dehydration. Continued debility with chilliness, paleness, weakness. Sensitive to touch, motion, cold air. Worse on alternate days. Weariness of limbs with a desire to stretch, move or change position.

• Gelsemium: weakness after the flu with the heaviness that won't go away, may feel chilly, weakness and heaviness of limbs and eyelids

• Influenzinum: has never recovered from flu or never been well since having the flu. Persistent cough and fatigue after the flu.

• Kali phosphoricum: generally weak and wiped out, not getting strength back after having the flu, feeling flat and depressed

An article about Homeopathy and Prophylaxis which is well worth reading - it is on the NCH's website at this link:

http://nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org/articles/view,97

Don't forget, get plenty of rest and send me an email if you have any questions.

Let me know if this was helpful and feel free to share with me any of your own tips, comments, questions.

be well,

gina

Warning:  This self treatment should never be used if you are not completely sure of the diagnosis of your, or your child's, health problem and should only be used after your qualified health care provider has evaluated the condition. This advice is meant to augment and not replace the necessary care of a licensed primary care provider. If the health problem is serious enough that you would consider calling your primary care provider, you should still call him or her. However, even in those cases where other treatment is prescribed you will often find these treatments helpful.