holistic health
Speleotherapy – The Healing Power Of Salt Caves
Since the time of the ancients, the use of salt (halos in Greek) was widespread for its healing properties. In our modern era, spending time in salt caves (speleos) are becoming popular as therapy. What can this accomplish for us?
Humankind evolved from the oceans; we have a natural connection to the sea and its properties. Since most of us are not in close proximity to the water, a salt cave in a landlocked area can offer a variety of healing properties. These caves are the remnants of inland seas from millions of years ago.
Salt caves, as individual micro-climates, are balanced chemically and harbor few, if any, allergens. This offers an ideal environment to recuperate for persons suffering from chronic allergies, respiratory ailments, or bronchitis. Think about the properties of a simple salt lamp, then imagine being surrounded by a large room of one of nature’s most beneficial substances. Continue reading
The Wisdom Of Real Food
My relationship with food evolved the day I decided to start my own garden. I didn’t have much space where I lived, so I rented a plot in a community garden nearby, for a very small fee.
Although it soon became a part-time job, it also turned into my sanctuary. Any stress from the day cleared when I went there. I was always eager to go there and visit my growing family of fruits, herbs, flowers and vegetables. It made me feel like a child again!
Connecting with the Earth on such a deep level also gave me a new perspective on my spiritual identity. From being inspired by fellow gardeners to teaching my son important life skills, I was motivated to get serious about treating my body like a temple and also raising awareness in others. Something I once took for granted and paid little attention to, became a great passion and concern for me. Continue reading
The Benefits Of Himalayan Salt Lamps
One of the best investments to make in your home today is a Himalayan salt lamp. It is typically a large piece (or pieces) of pure salt from the mountain range of the same name. The real thing, as opposed to imitators made from rock salt or less pure forms, is mined in the Punjab provinces of India and Pakistan.
So what is so special about a light bulb inside a rock, anyway? Turns out, lots of things.
We are surrounded by positive ions (atomic particles with uneven levels of charge) in our modern world due to new technology. These ions are generated by televisions, microwaves, mobile phones, and the like. We also find positive ions in airborne toxins, such as mold and pollen.
The properties of the salt lamp generate negative ions to counterbalance these energies. If you’ve ever experienced the regenerative power of a beach, or the aftermath of a storm, you know what this feels like. Continue reading
Good Vibrations
The Beach Boys hit song Good Vibrations is more than just a catchy title. Our bodies and minds are constantly engaged in “pickin’ up good vibrations.” We are all composed of energy manifesting as matter, as are our environments. At a very basic level it is the interaction of atoms and molecules, and our behaviors have a lot to do with those interactions.
The unfortunate truth is, we’re also surrounded by negative influences. Stress, poor diet and nutrition, and lack of exposure to a natural environment are common in the busy, urban world many of us now live in. Literally, they are everywhere we turn, and it can be overwhelming.
Often we treat these symptoms with even more harmful solutions, such as artificial medicines, negative thinking, alcohol or narcotics, or non-wholesome foods. It’s a vicious cycle. However, there is a way to escape and break free. Continue reading
What Your Face Is Telling You
There is an ancient belief system that everything can be seen in one’s face. Your emotional state, your physical state, warnings, strengths and weaknesses. Lines on the forehead are said to represent issues with the intestines. Lines between the eyebrows, just above the eyes, represent issues with the liver, while lines under the eyes represent issues with the kidneys. Lines or swelling of the nose represent issues with the heart, and lines above the lip, below the nose, represent issues with the sexual organs.
Lines or wrinkles are inevitable. However, we have all seen someone in their 20s who has lines as deep and prolific as an 80 year old, and sometimes you see an 80 year old who has the skin of a 25 year old. What is their secret? Continue reading
What The Mind Believes, The Body Perceives
What your mind and heart believe your body perceives. Our self-talk and mind-chatter play a vital role in optimum health in body, mind and spirit.
If we wake up in the morning and tell ourselves, “I’m really feeling lousy, I’m still tired. I really don’t want to get up and face this day,” you can be sure that the body will respond in just that way. You will be moving slowly, feeling every ache or pain twice as intensely. That kind of self-talk can even affect digestion by slowing it down, because that is what you are telling the body to do with this kind of negative thinking. By thinking, “I really don’t want to move fast,” the message the body receives is to slow down. The body will always comply with the thought process. Continue reading
Grief As A Spiritual Life Lesson
Just under a decade ago, a decision I made to let my eight and a half year old Rottweiler Sophie go, was one of the hardest things I have ever been faced with. Sophie had suddenly become ill over the course of four days and nothing could have prepared me for the subsequent grief. Although time heals, I still recall the way it felt when she was gone – like my heart was being ripped from my chest.
Grief can be described as the universal response to loss, and a very natural, yet terribly painful internal process. When there is a significant change, or loss in one’s life, grief is both a physical and emotional response to that change. Grief brings its own stresses, and continued grief actually compromises our immune system, because all cells in our bodies are affected by intense emotions. Continue reading