At Least a Dozen Ways You May Not Have Thought of to Make Your Home Environment Radiate with Peace

1. Burn unscented candles with prayer intentions embedded into them.

2. Keep everything in order. Get organized. Chaos creates more chaos. Clean and straighten as you go.

3. Keep your decor simple and refined.

4. Cover your television screen with a beautiful tapestry when it is not in use.

5. Keep your home aired out by opening doors and windows periodically.

6. One simple fresh flower or a plant will impeccably enchant the room.

7. Light a Himalayan salt lamp in each room. It purifies and deionizes the air. Explore Evolution Salt.

8. Keep your home accessories and supplies vegan and fair-trade friendly. They carry a vibration of non-aggression.

9. Watch and feel how energies feel in your home and shift furniture until it feels better.

10. Make your home decor meaningful to you. Your home reflects who you are.

11. By all means, post a picture or a statue of peace hero in your home such as the Buddha, Jesus, Mahatma Gandhi, or Kwan Yin. You will be surprised at how it makes the room feel.

12. Have a set of tingshas, a bell or crystal bowl nearby and gently clang periodically to clear the energies of the room.

13. Never hesitate to do yoga in your living or bedroom. The energies you generate will uplift the room.

14. Play a continuous "OM" soundtrack in the background. The best one we've found is Eternal Om by Dick Sutphen. Or play chanting Buddhist monks. Their guttural chanting is amazingly comforting. Here is an amazing cd by Deval Premal and the Gyuto Monks (Tibetan Mantras for Turbulent Times) that is enthralling, reverential and moving. [All proceeds of this CD are directed to the Gyuto Monastery in Dharamsala, India; the Phowa Project; and Veggiyana.]

15. Use color and light therapies to bring gentle vibrations into your home. See our blog post of June 20.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

Feng shui is (in Chinese thought) a system of laws considered to govern spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to the flow of energy (qi), and whose favorable or unfavorable effects are taken into account when siting and designing buildings and rooms.

You can become a feng shui expert OR you can simply tune in to how placement and orientation of objects and sounds in your home FEELS. You will know immediately if a placement or addition is right for you just by the way it feels. Tune in to both ways: the way it was before and the way it is with the changes you have made. Your answer will tell you all you need to know!

It doesn't take a super built out plan or a lot of money to make your home environment the kind you desire. It merely requires:

• simplicity

• order

• a touch of creativity

You can transform your home in a matter of minutes just by clearing out the old and chaotic, rearranging items and adding sound and good vibrations to your living environment.

More Than a Dozen Ways to Start Living a More Peaceful Gentle Life Right Now

In the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions, ahimsa is the principle of nonviolence and compassion toward all living things; it is considered one of five great virtues of man; its origin is from the Sanskrit language: from a ‘non-, without’ + hiṃsā ‘violence’

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi promoted Ahimsa in his life and in his life's service. He applied Ahimsa to all arenas of life. He said, "Ahimsa is in Hinduism, it is in Christianity as well as in Islam... Nonviolence is common to all religions, but it has found the highest expression and application in Hinduism (I do not regard Jainism or Buddhism as separate from Hinduism)."

Ahimsa tends to include the following loving lifestyle practices and leads to an overall more peaceful life:

1. Practicing vegetarianism and even greater, veganism in both food and clothing choices

2. Refraining from hunting and fishing whether to kill or to wound and release

3. Eliminating the caging of animals and visiting animals in zoos (animal sanctuaries for the wounded would not apply here)

4. Treating pets with love and respect, and creating structure within ourselves and for our pets so we may engender their obedience

5. Refusing to patronize companies that practice cruelty toward animals

6. Taking in abandoned pets in shelters; consider adopting an aging pet who is more likely to be passed by.

7. Taking loving care of our own bodies with high frequency exercise such as yoga, martial arts, distance meditative walking; see our blog post of June 10, 2016 for one such simple exercise.

8. Espousing moderation in what we take into our bodies such as quantities of food, alcohol, sugar, fats, drugs, tobacco

9. Meditating daily for at least a short period of time being sure to include some form of prayer before or after

10. Creating a home environment of peace and order that will support nonviolent tendencies within us

11. Gently rejecting negative and destructive self-talk realizing this is the ego talking and not us and that exactly the opposite is true about ourselves; this is practicing non-violent thinking.

12. Enriching our attitudes towards life by reading uplifting, inspiring books; see list below

13. Slowing down if we tend to rush through life; getting present to life

14. Recycling all that we don't use including clothing, furniture, tools; recycling food scraps

15. Buying organic and vegan

16. Walking or riding a bicycle whenever possible

17. Cutting way back on our consumption of paper, plastic and synthetic products

18. Becoming more acutely aware of our individual carbon footprint overall and how to reduce it

Some Titles to Read for a More Peaceful Loving Life:

• The Official Ahimsa Dog Training Manual: A Practical, Force-Free Guide to Problem Solving and Manners by Grisha Stewart

• Living Ahimsa Diet: Nourishing Love & Life by Maya Tiwari

• Gandhi: An Autobiography - The Story of My Experiments With Truth by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Mahadev H. Desai

• Peace Pilgrim: Her Life and Work in Her Own Words by Peace Pilgrim

• The Dalai Lama's Little Book of Compassion by the Dalai Lama

• Personality Development by Swami Vivekananda

All PHYTO5 Swiss-made skincare products are crafted in the spirit of Ahimsa. Animals are not tested and the highest good of the planet is at the core of all our manufacturing practices.

6 Reasons Why Buying "Organic Made In Switzerland" Assures Super High Integrity

Buying Organic Skincare Made In Switzerland Assures Super High Integrity.

In many countries (including the U.S.), skincare product manufacturers are not inspected for good manufacturing practice and neither are the ingredients they use.

Since there are thousands of untested ingredients used in skincare products, consumers should be really concerned about how suitable the products are for use on their bodies. Some may actually pose dangers to your health.

In today's world of "info.-by-internet," there are all kinds of misinformation posted by people who will benefit from it and which internet searchers buy as valid and correct.

If you buy organic products made in a country like Switzerland, you can be assured it goes through a multi-tier certification process, much more so than in the U.S. Add the final step of USDA organic certification once the products reaches the country and you and your product are virtually assured of its authenticity and benefit to your health.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

NOTE: Ageless La Cure skincare products by PHYTO5 are organic certified. PHYTO5 seasonal skincare products are not organic certified but many of the products contain organic ingredients and all are formulated with plant-based ingredients.

The 6 Tiers of Organic Certification for Skincare Made in Switzerland and Imported into the U.S.

1. Organic certification is required from the ECOCERT organization for European manufactured products as well as products from a number of other countries and the products are clearly marked as such.

2. European Union regulations for skincare products are very stringent and require many toxicology tests to verify them as completely harmless.

3. Toxicology tests on skincare products are conducted not only at the time of inception/formulation of the product but for every production batch.

4. European-made organic skincare including Swiss-made bears the professional organization COSMEBIO® icon which designates the product as natural, eco-friendly and organic.

5. Only in Switzerland, the government conducts regular inspections of manufacturing plants to asure they are using good manufacturing practices.

6. Organic skincare must additionally pass USDA organic certification once in the country.

More About Ecocert Certification for Organic and Natural Cosmetics

Introduced in 2003, the specification was drawn up in conjunction with all stakeholders in the value chain, i.e. experts, suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, consumers and development organizations. Ecocert currently supports and guides more than 1,000 companies through their certification processes.

The basic principles of the Ecocert standard: To ensure an environmentally friendly cosmetic product, the Ecocert standard lays down:

1. The use of ingredients derived from renewable resources, manufactured by environmentally friendly processes. Ecocert therefore checks:

• absence of GMO

• parabens

• phenoxyethanol

• nanoparticles

• silicon

• PEG

• synthetic perfumes and dyes

• animal-derived ingredients (unless naturally produced by them: milk, honey, etc.).

• biodegradable or recyclable nature of packaging.

 2. A minimum threshold of natural ingredients from organic farming to be reached to obtain certification: For both labels, Ecocert Standard imposes that a minimum of 95% of the total ingredients come from natural origin;

• For the natural and organic cosmetic label: A minimum of 95% of all plant-based ingredients in the formula and a minimum of 10% of all ingredients by weight must come from organic farming.

• For the natural cosmetic label: A minimum of 50% of all plant-based ingredients in the formula and a minimum of 5% of all ingredients by weight must come from organic farming.

/!\: Some ingredients very frequently found in cosmetics (water, salts, minerals) cannot be certified as organic because they are not sourced from farming. For example, shampoos and some creams, mostly composed of water, contain between 10% and 40% organic ingredients, and always 95% natural ingredients. An essential oil, which does not contain water, can be up to 100% organic ingredients.

3. On-site audit is performed by an Ecocert auditor.

21 Short and Long Term Ways to Cope

Everybody runs into rough patches. That's the nature of life. Here are 21 enjoyable ways to transform the heaviness of life into light. Pick and choose.

1. Try not to isolate yourself. Align with a positive minded and emotionally healthy friend or friends. Reach out and share.

2. Read spiritually uplifting books in your time of need; try reading The Life and Teachings of the Masters of the Far East, or Autobiography of a Yogi. Your life will be changed.

3. Read and study A Course In Miracles. There are concepts in the book you can immediately put into practice for your peace of mind.

4. Read success coaching books by people like Brendon Burchard.

5. Step out into nature for a walk or a visit. Let nature embrace and love you. It works. You'll feel better.

6. Get out of town for a few hours. Drive to a place you've been wanting to visit but kept putting it off. Enjoy the change of scenery.

7. Remember that nothing is permanent. It will pass.

8. Have at hand or in memory a number of mantras to repeat either aloud or silently that resonate with you.

9. Turn on some music and even better, sing and/or dance to it. The physical exercise of dancing will change you.

10. Adjust your physical posture. If you address your physiology, your mental will follow suit. Stand or sit erect, relax your face and make yourself smile.

11. Go be in service to someone somewhere. Don't put it off. Do it now.

12. Set up reminders in your smartphone to cue you throughout the day to stop for a moment and acknowledge the Divine lives within you as you.

13. Interrupt your pattern. Stop doing everything the same way every day at the same time of the day. Mix it up. Right now. Get up and do something different.

14. Watch a comedy. Get laughing. You can't ever laugh too much. Laugh till it hurts!

15. Pray. Call on your celestial guides to help carry you through your challenge. They can't help if you don't ask. They are waiting to respond to your call!

16. Set up an altar with an unscented candle(s) and pictures or even statues of your favorite spiritual figures throughout history. Say your prayers in front of this altar and know you and these people are one and the same, you have only to realize it.

17. If you can afford it, go get a massage right away.

18. Cleanse the energetic envelope that surrounds your physical body by smudging it with sage or whisking a bird feather through it. Keep cleansing the bird feather by sharply whisking it down towards the floor every few seconds. You can also sounds bells or gently beat a drum in your energy field (also known as your auric field).

19. Resolve to change the behavior that has brought you to a place of overwhelm. Choose just one thing to change and then take one small action toward making that change and do it immediately, no matter how small or trivial that action might seem.

20. Refuse to entertain all thoughts simultaneously which lead to overwhelm. Practice and learn to deflect them. You have the power, not they. This will help you to be in this moment NOW where there can be no overwhelm or worry. Practice being in the now by reading and studying the works of Eckhart Tolle.

21. Be with an animal. Go get near some animals, even if cows or horses grazing in a field. Adopt an aging animal from a shelter. Spend time with your neighbor's pet. They will all be present to you. They have no judgment.

18 Avenues for Releasing Stored Emotional Pain

All emotions, pain in particular, are recorded at the cellular level. Emotions stem from the body’s experiences and its mental interpretation of those experiences. Because of this, emotions are closely related to our bodies. They’re actually an extension of our bodies.

There is also evidence that mental pain and anguish have an impact on the body as if they were physical bodily injuries. This helps to explain why many massage therapists have experienced involuntary emotional reactions from their clients like unexplainable cries, shrieks, or tears. These happen when there is a release of a painful event which has been stored in the physical body as a physical and/or energetic blockage.

It's a good thing to get these blocks of energy released otherwise they might cause a physical illness down the road. Think about it: When energy is blocked from flowing in the body, how can that be good? It causes pain, dysfunction and illness.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

Make it a habit, within the constraints of your budget, to see a holistic healthcare giver on a regular basis. If they are truly holistic, they will take your ability to pay into account and create a sliding scale for you. This is the meaning of holistic–taking all aspects of a person into account when treating, including the means to pay for services. Bring it up to your therapist if this is the case for you.

Here's a partial list of types of holistic practitioners* you might want to look into for yourself:

1. Massage therapist, of course, but preferably one with knowledge of balancing chakras

2. Doctor of Oriental Medicine or Acupuncturist

3. Energy medicine practitioner

4. Ayurvedic practitioner

5. Reiki practitioner

6. Biofeedback specialist

7. Chromatherapy specialist

8. Guided imagery practitioner

9. Therapeutic touch therapist

10. Doctor of Homeopathy

11. Thai yoga teacher/practitioner

12. Bach flower remedy specialist

13. Rolfer

14. Pranic healing specialist

15. Rebirthing expert

16. Sound therapist

17. Myofascial/trigger point therapist

18. Chakra balancing expert

*Some of these healthcare givers may require licenses to practice. Be sure to verify before accepting treatment.

The 7 Types of Ayurvedic Massage

Abhyangam
A full body hot oil massage with medicated herbal oil in the patient's particular dosha (dosha: each of three energies believed to circulate in the body and govern physiological activity). A comfortably warm temperature is maintained in the room and energy centers are stimulated to assist the body in releasing deep seated toxins.

Udvartana
In Udvartana massage, an herbal paste or dried herbal powders are applied oppositethe hairgrowth i.e. in an upward direction. This breaks down the adipose tissues in the body, increases circulation and releases toxins.

Garshana
The Garshana massage is a process of stimulating the body using raw silk gloves only minus the application of any lubricant. Light and vigorous movements eliminate toxins from the body by stimulating the lymphatic system and fat cells in the body break Dead skin cells are sloughed off leaving the skin clean and radiant.

Njavarkijhi
This massage increases perspiration in the body. A pressurized massage is given with the help of small cotton ‘blouses’ filled with a special type of cooked rice called Njavara. During the massage, these blouses are dipped in cow’s milk and a special herbal paste and applied to produce sweat. It is de-stressing and revitalizing.

Shirodhara
Here a stimulation of the nerves in the scalp is activated by pouring herbal oil on the head in a constant stream or ‘dhara,' thus relieving mental fatigue, increasing focus and clarity and alleviating headaches.

Ubtaan and Elakijhi
Various herbal or animal centric materials are used to vitalize the skin texture and nourish the body.

2 Effective and Natural Ways to Fight Potential Superbugs

On May 26, 2016 Sanjay Gupta, MD of CNN reported, "New ‘superbug’ no antibiotic can combat arrives in U.S." We've all heard how antibiotics aren't working like they used to. Microbes are adapting. They're learning how to survive the attacks of antibiotics.

In another CNN interview with a microbiologist, the health pundit was asked what new approach we could use to combat superbugs and he answered, PROBIOTICS. He said we have to start looking at probiotics for our health. Hello?! Where has he been?! I guess just steeped in the world of allopathic medicine but it's nice to hear they're more and more willing to give a real alternative like probiotics a good hard look.

What a simple, affordable and really healthy way to fight such pathogens! Keep your intestines populated with probiotics (also known as friendly flora).

Another microbiologist, Larry Harris, formerly of the CIA, was asked on national television several years ago about how we can effectively combat lethal pathogens and he said:

The only natural substance I know of that is effective against these microbes is colloidal silver. I tested that myself when I was with the CIA, and found it effective against both anthrax and the bubonic plague pathogens. –Former CIA microbiologist Larry Wayne Harris

The Ultimate Colloidal Silver Manual. Barwick, Steve. Peoria, AZ: Life and Health Research Group, n.d. Print.

Concerning PROBIOTICS: Get a good one at the health food store. They are usually sold in the refrigerated section. Keep them refrigerated so that as many as possible of the millions and millions of friendly flora organisms stay alive. Don't take too much. Just take what the bottle says every day, at least until you learn how your body responds to them. There will be other benefits including much better waste elimination, glowing skin, resistance to colds, flu, healthier bones, nicer breath and more!

On COLLOIDAL SILVER: Again, get a good brand at the health food store, preferably one that uses nanotechnology. You want a silver with nanoparticles because nanoparticles are so small they can penetrate your mucous membranes far more effectively than regular colloidal silver. You can buy it in spray form or liquid dropper form. I use the liquid dropper form. It tastes fine.

Just put the prescribed amount under your tongue, hold it there for 20 seconds or so and swallow. Don't overdo colloidal silver either. Just take the amount prescribed on the label. And remember this mantra when taking colloidal silver, "Less is more and more is less." This means that if you take a much larger amount of silver than is suggested, it will be ineffective. But you can take it several times throughout the day.

We've all heard of rare people who turned blue after going wild on colloidal silver. Though this is rare, be smart. There's nothing to fear even if you take it every day.

Not only are probiotics and colloidal silver effective at outsmarting bugs and superbugs, they're a whole lot cheaper and with no ill side effects.

#superbugs #health #holistic #healing #probiotics #colloidalsilver #beauty #skincare

Laughter and Joy In Balance Are Two of Chinese Medicine's Summer Attributes. Here Are 15 Spectacular Benefits of Having Fun This Summer.

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) philosophy there are five seasons or phases. These are comprised of the four seasons we all readily know plus an in-between-seasons period (there are four of these periods) in the cyclical year. To each of the seasons corresponds one of the five elements (Wood–Spring, Fire–Summer, Earth–Between Seasons, Metal–Fall, and Water–Winter). In addition, each of the five seasons bears an array of attributes that when understood and embraced can assist us to better live in harmony with the season.

Summer’s organs are heart and small intestine. In the human body, Fire obviously manifests in the heart (called in TCM, The Utmost Source), pericardium (the protective membrane around the heart–called by TCM, The Protector), the triple heater (regulator of internal temperature) and the small intestine (called the Heavenly Window by TCM). Since the blood vessels deliver blood to the heart and the heart pumps blood through the vessels, blood flow represents joy of life. Just as the heart and small intestine are the organs of focus during Summer, the blood vessels are the tissue of focus during TCM’s Summer.

The emotion therefore of Summer is joy, but not overflowing joy: joy in balance. (Being overly joyful or gregarious indicates a person who is out of balance with the season and the element.)

It follows then that the sound of Summer and Fire is laughing.

The weather in Summer is associated with the qualities of heat and dryness.

The movement is ascending, and the direction is South.

The color of Fire is red and therefore the color of the season. The taste is bitter or burned, the sensation is taste, and the sense organ is logically the tongue.

If you find yourself in Summer which runs from May 6 to July 19 according to TCM, then now is the time to take advantage of Summer's energies and attributes so that you will be able to easily carry all Summer’s feel-good benefits into Fall. Taste the flavors of the season, enjoy the color, the warmth, the increased light, and the sound of laughter and you’ll be considered to be living in harmony with energetic Summer.

In line with Summer’s sound of laughter, have fun during Summer and laugh.

The following are 15 spectacular benefits of having fun at any time of year, but most especially during energetic Summer.

• Pain can be lessened and relieved.

• Brain function improves. You’ll gain clarity of mind and memory.

• Now that you’re more relaxed, your innate creativity surges.

• Mental, even physical youth is fostered. The brain becomes more plastic and your body alive with energy and light.

• Relationships are strengthened when having fun with others. It builds connections and solidifies social bonds—one of the major focuses of energetic Summer.

• Emotional wounds may be healed. With the walls around the heart crashing down, the way is paved for appreciating what you’ve learned as a result of your traumas so you can integrate them simply as part of your being and something you had to go through to be an even better person.

• Sleep patterns become more regulated because serotonin in the brain increases when you’re enjoying having fun.

• Your body temperature becomes more balanced again because of increased serotonin levels.

• Coping skills seem to be magically more available to you.

• Physical energy increases.

• Overall positive feelings become the norm in your emotional body.

• You become more productive in your life.

• LOVE happens!

• You become transformed at a cellular level.

The Incredible Benefits of Red Fruits and Vegetables for Heart Health During Energetic Summer and All Year ‘Round

Energetic Summer according to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the time period from May 6 to July 19. TCM’s astute observations beginning as early as the 14th–11th centuries BCE tell us that Summer encourages us to live in an emotional state of joy-in-balance. The element associated with Summer is Fire. The color is red and the organ is the heart.

Living in harmony with each season as it comes is integral to TCM philosophy. By doing so, we enjoy higher levels of health and vitality.

To create harmonious living with the season TCM also advocates incorporating the color red into our lives more prominently during Summer and this includes the consumption of red fruits and vegetables. Most red produce is seasonal to Summer, is actually somewhat heart-shaped, and most of it supports healthy heart function. (Remember that the heart is the organ of Summer.) Red fruits and vegetables indicate the presence of high levels of lycopene and other powerful antioxidants proven to be heart disease fighters.

Though all produce offers an entire array of nutritional and health benefits, in this article we’re looking at what red fruits and vegetables of Summer offer cardiovascular health.

Strawberries

With a high polyphenol content (plant compounds that act as antioxidants which neutralize harmful free radicals), strawberries are rich in anthocyanins and have been shown to remarkably help lower your risk of myocardial infarction.

The flavonoid quercetin in strawberries is a natural anti-inflammatory which appears to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis.

Finally, the healthy fiber and potassium content in strawberries supports heart health.

Cherries

“Emerging evidence links cherries to many important health benefits, including a reduction in risk factors for heart disease. A growing body of science links cherries’ red color (provided by the fruit’s powerful antioxidants (anthocyanins) to heart-health benefits related to reducing inflammation, total cholesterol, and belly fat. With more than 80 million Americans living with some form of heart disease, the heart-healthy qualities of eating red fruits and vegetables have more relevance than ever.” —Shari Steinbach, MS, RD in Cherries and Heart Health; https://fruitsandveggies.org/stories/iv-for-021511-shari-steinbach/

Raspberries

Disease-fighting compounds in red raspberries have the ability to fight back against oxidative stress thereby lowering the risk of atherosclerosis development, improving vasodilation of blood vessels, and reducing blood pressure.

What is particularly interesting about the research on red raspberries is “their potential to help reduce factors contributing to metabolic syndrome which has implications for diabetes development and overall cardiovascular and brain health,” so says Britt M. Burton-Freeman, PhD, of the Center for Nutrition Research, Institute for Food Safety and Health, Illinois Institute of Technology.

Tomatoes

Lycopene in tomatoes help lower your levels of LDL or “bad” cholesterol and they help regulate blood pressure, too. Both of these may lower your chances of heart disease. Other nutrients in tomatoes like vitamins B and E and flavonoid antioxidants work to boost heart health as well.

Red bell peppers

Full of lycopene (just mentioned above), consuming red bell peppers can be excellent for heart health. Antioxidant vitamins A and C abound in red bell peppers. If you choose the chili pepper varieties of red bell peppers, the phytochemical capsaicin helps reduce inflammation, another important factor for heart health.

Red beets

“A daily serving of beet juice may improve quality of life for heart failure patients, based on recent findings linking beetroot juice to blood pressure reductions and improved exercise endurance.” —Beet Juice Lowers Blood Pressure and Boosts Exercise Endurance in Heart Failure Patients

Based on recent findings published in JACC: Heart Failure, drinking beet juice may be an effective way for heart failure patients to improve exercise endurance and quality of life.

Red grapes

Resveratrol, a polyphenol in red grapes, have antioxidant, lipid-lowering, and anti-inflammatory properties that contribute to lessening your risk of cardiovascular disease. Eating red grapes helps the body to prevent platelet build-up and reduces blood pressure and the risk of irregular heart rhythms.

Pomegranate

The juice of pomegranate seeds appears to protect the heart and arteries. This sweet red juice helps to improve blood flow and keeps the arteries from becoming stiff and thick. It seems to help slow the growth of plaque and buildup of cholesterol in the arteries, studies show.

“Drinking pomegranate juice daily may also help lower systolic blood pressure. A comprehensive review of randomized controlled trials stated that it would be beneficial for heart health to include pomegranate juice daily.” —Mandy Ferreira and medically reviewed by Natalie Butler, RD, LD in Fifteen health benefits of pomegranate juice, Medical News Today

Red pears

Since pears are high in potassium, they have a significant impact on heart health. Potassium acts as an excellent vasodilator assisting to lower blood pressure. With improved blood flow to all parts of the body oxygen is well delivered to all organs causing them to function more effectively. The high fiber content of pears also ensures good heart health.

THE EMOTION OF JOY

In the seminal holistic healing book, You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay, she tells us how blood flow and joy are related. Anger constricts the flow of blood and makes a destructive impact on the heart. The heart and joy or lack of it exist in symbiosis. One begets the other.

Her “dictionary” of diseases and their associated emotions says this about the heart:

“…Represents the center of love and security.

– Heart Attack: Squeezing all the joy out of the heart in favor of money or position. Feeling alone and scared. 'I’m not good enough. I don’t do enough. I’ll never make it.'

– Heart Problems: Longstanding emotional problems. Lack of joy. Hardening of the heart. Belief in strain and stress.”

Summertime can be a joyful time of open hearts and love. Align with the energies of Summer and do everything you can to keep your heart pumping joyfully. Consuming red fruits and vegetables can help in more ways than one.

This blog was originally published on May 27, 2016 but has been extensively updated and expanded on June 18, 2021 for freshness and comprehensiveness.

#####

Endnotes:

“Strawberries: Benefits, Nutrition, and Risks.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/271285#benefits. 

“Cherries and Heart Health.” Have a Plant: Fruits and Veggies for Better Health, https://fruitsandveggies.org/stories/iv-for-021511-shari-steinbach/

“What Red Raspberries Can Do For Your Heart.” Labroots. https://www.labroots.com/trending/cardiology/2440/what-red-raspberries-can-do-your-heart

“Beet Juice Lowers Blood Pressure and Boosts Exercise Endurance in Heart Failure Patients. CardioSmart: American College of Cardiology. https://www.cardiosmart.org/news/2016/3/beet-juice-lowers-blood-pressure-and-boosts-exercise-endurance-in-heart-failure-patients

“What are the health benefits of grapes?” Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/271156

“Fifteen health benefits of pomegranate juice.” Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318385

Hay, Louise. You Can Heal Your Life. Hay House. 2004.

6 Important Foods to Keep You Cool as a Cucumber This Summer

The heart and small intestine are partners in the human physiology according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Heat disperses and eliminates itself from the body through increased urination. This is why you want to stay hydrated and cool with these six foods. They'll help you keep heart in balance during the lazy hazy days of Summer.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

6 Cooling Foods for Summer Heat (No spicy-greasy here!)

1. Coconut milk; slightly sweet and a relatively neutral food. Buy the better brands in the health food stores. You can make your own in a high speed blender by blending some young Thai coconut meat with pure water. It is very nourishing to the spleen, stomach and kidneys, generating fluid and relieving thirst.

2. Mung beans; they're great sprouted. Learn to sprout them. They only take a couple days or else find them in the produce aisle in the grocery store. Mung beans are sweet and cooling and they nourish both heart and stomach. They're rich in protein, iron and fiber and they help lower blood fat and strengthen arteries. They help clear toxic heat and promote urination.

3. Cucumber, of course! This fruit is sweet and cold, and very nourishing to the stomach and small intestine. It helps relieve thirst, promote urination and clear toxins.

4. Eggplant; it grows in abundance in the summer–you just have to learn how to prepare it to make it taste great. Eggplant is relatively sweet and cooling, and renews the spleen, nourishes the liver and keeps the stomach regulated. It helps reduce swelling and promotes urination.

5. Watermelon, absolutely! Sweet and cold, watermelon is great for the heart, bladder and stomach. Believe it or not, it helps eliminate restlessness. It's thirst relieving and promotes urination.

6. Bitters*;  so good for you, they're actually important to eat every day. See list below for veg examples of bitters. And hey! have some Jägermeister, but not too much! It's a German digestif made with 56 herbs and spices at a strength of 35% alcohol by volume. Bitters such as Jägermeister are used as a medicinal substance to promote digestion.

*amaranth, arugula, beet greens, broccoli raab, chard, chicory, cress, collard greens, curly endive, dandelion greens, kale, endive, escarole, frisée, mizuna, mustard greens, nettles, puntarelle, radicchio, rapini, rocket, spinach, turnip greens, watercress

---

8 Tips for a Radiant Summer Heart

Summer is the season of the heart and small intestine (in Traditional Chinese Medicine on whose tenets we base our PHYTO5 skincare philosophy). Today, we're looking at how to keep our heart in tip top shape taking advantage of the Summer's energy.

In Western medicine, the heart does nothing more than pump blood. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the heart is so much more. In Chinese medicine, life is more than form just as are our lives which include relationships, career, emotions, traumas, education, finances, love, and joy.

Fire Element • Summer Season • Heart Organ

In TCM, they are one and when aligned with each other, we live in harmony and our vitality results in every aspect of our lives.

When there is too much fire in any fire pile, heat blazes upwards. In the human, anger bubbles up, emotions get charged and the face and neck turn red.

When there is too little fire, warmth begins to dissipate and so does its light. In the human, necessary heat cannot reach the head as well and the face becomes pale and the person lethargic. Heart palpitations may occur intermittently.

With just the right amount of fire, all systems are go! The blood is circulating optimally and the human feels at ease, relaxed and happy. His or her facial complexion looks balanced and robust.

In TCM, the heart is the Emperor Fire, governing the blood and blood vessels and actually housing the mind which interprets our feelings and emotions. It is the king of all organs meaning all the other organs will sacrifice for the heart so that balance may be achieved.

The small intestine is partner to the heart and the liver is known as the mother of the heart. They both work to support the heart.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

So how do we keep the heart in balance? Take care of the liver and the stomach! Let's begin with the liver. Here are several arenas to focus on for liver health:

1. Consume bitters. They strengthen digestion by causing a reflexive secretion of gastric juices and they tone the muscles of the digestive tract.

2. Take herbal purgatives, if necessary, to keep your bowels moving. There are tasty teas in the health food stores designed for this purpose.

3. Take liver tonics such as what your Doctor of Oriental Medicine will prescribe for you. Or consume milk thistle, commonly found in health food stores.

4. Do juice fasting. If the liver is burdened, fasting will assist it to bounce back resiliently.

5. Eat high fiber foods and keep well hydrated. Both of these keep the bowels moving.

6. Practice breathing. Stress can exacerbate liver congestion. Breathing is very calming.

7. Avoid overeating and putting undue stress on the liver. We really don't need to eat as much as we do!

8. Cut the chemicals. Chemicals can overload the liver especially if we've never done a liver cleanse or if we don't consciously read product labels and buy with discernment.

6 Great Reasons to Consider TCM for Your Health and Vitality

Do you think Chinese medicine would have survived for more than 3,000 years, its practice spreading all over the world, if it weren’t a potent, total, proven, and truly holistic system of medicine?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is actually rooted in the ancient philosophy of Taoism* and dates back more than 2,500 years. TCM is a functional, “flesh and bones” medicine based on the same fundamental physiology as Western medicine. You don't have to be a Doctor of Oriental Medicine or licensed acupuncturist to practice its principles and reap many rewards from its practice. Its principles are practiced in beauty salons, skincare institutes, spas, and wellness centers all over the globe, especially where PHYTO5 skincare is offered.

Chinese medicine was passed down through the centuries by some of the most exquisite learned minds of China. Chinese medicine assisted emperors and the royal courts to live well into their 90s, even remaining fertile into their 80s at a time when the average life expectancy in the West was 30 years.

Do a Google search for "five elements skincare" and discover that PHYTO5 and its “energetic skincare” method is at the forefront of the industry because it offers energetic principles of both TCM and Ayurveda** and with superior results. Balanced vital energy achieved by TCM is a prerequisite of real health and when you feel better, you also look better!

Distinctions of Chinese Medicine Practice and Philosophy:

1. Your physician spends more time interviewing and examining you.

2. Your physician takes factors over and above your physical health into account.

3. The therapies are non-invasive.

4. The philosophy also takes the environment into account including the seasons and the elements comprising the earth.

5. The practice realizes that the body is not just matter but 50% matter and 50% vital energy and therefore carefully considers your body's energy envelope and energy pathways when providing treatments.

6. Lifestyle in alignment with the five phases (seasons) is a core tenet because it brings harmony to the body, the mind and the spirit.

---

*Philosophical Taoism emphasizes inner contemplation and mystical union with nature; wisdom, learning, and purposeful action should be abandoned in favor of simplicity and wu-wei (non-action, or letting things take their natural course).

**Literally meaning 'life science,' Ayurveda is the traditional Hindu system of medicine which is based on the idea of balance in bodily systems and utilizes diet, herbal treatments, and yogic breathing as major tenets of its system.

Tips for Happiness and Joy-In-Balance This Summer

We are all meant to be happy. It’s not only an innate desire we have, it’s a fundamental need, but sometimes we get off track. Life throws us curve balls regularly. Some people seem to have it rougher than others. Or could it be that some people just handle those curve balls in a more resilient way?

Probably both are true. If you’re stuck in sadness, depression, anxiety or anger, yes, it’s a challenge to suddenly shift how you respond to life. And we acknowledge that sometimes you may need clinical help to get the jumpstart you need. Whether you opt for professional assistance or not, please read on. (Note: This article is no way meant to offer a prescription for getting out of deep depression.)

Summer is the season for joy... for renewing it within ourselves... for unveiling it, sustaining it, rebirthing it and growing it. And if we've got joy, we can safely say we have happiness.

So, how can we be happy most of the time this season, if not, all year ‘round? It may sometimes take a bit of initial effort but soon a momentum in the positive direction takes hold and you’re off and running. Let's take advantage of the vitality-filled season of Summer to increase our happiness and joy:

1. Begin to appreciate every little thing. Acknowledge your appreciation of the butterfly, the crow cawing, the unexpected breeze that flows across your face, the gleeful child on the swingset, the delicious salsa you’re having, the cool bedsheets you’re laying on, the kind hello from the gas station attendant. Make this a practice. It is foundational to your happiness. In a short amount of time, you’ll notice yourself smiling more. Appreciation will become second nature to you and joy will definitely increase in your life. And it is this joy and happiness that are the foundation to your wellness. They are literally the key to your vitality and health.

2. Wear and bring colors into the home. According to traditional Chinese medicine, Summer’s element is Fire and the the color of the season is red. Accent your home and wardrobe with pops of red if you can. Let the color red be a reminder of joy to you. Mentally acknowledge this emotion when your eyes light on the color red.

3. Since Summer is the period of luxurious flora growth, bring colorful flowers into your home. Plant exuberant flowers near your front door so you can see them as you enter your home. If you’re not a gardener, buy a hanging basket of planted flowers and hang near your door to remind you of vitality, growth, and ever-changing expansion. Eat the sweet juicy fruits of Summer and appreciate their lusciousness. Make it a point to experience in some direct way the exuberant holidays of Summer.

4. Expand your vocabulary, especially the adjectives you use. Embellish your speech with the most positive, exciting verbiage you can muster and watch your life get happier. Remember that the words we speak actually create therefore be very mindful of your choice of language.

5. It is a known fact that emotion follows physiology. If you feel down, notice your posture and demeanor. You’re probably slouching and your face is either stoic or frowning. Maybe your eyebrows are knitted and your body is tense. You’ve got to make yourself get up, pull your shoulders back, stand tall, chin up in the air. Make yourself smile. Loosen up your body. Shake it out. This may be an effort but it takes less than 30 seconds. The improvement in your posture and demeanor, in most cases, will leave you feeling brighter, already slightly more optimistic. Now keep the momentum going. Spread open your arms. Stretch. Maybe even dance. Turn on the music inside your home full blast and enjoy. Awaken the cells of your body so they can dance, too!

6. What's your favorite thing to do to have fun? DO IT NOW! If you can’t exactly do it now, at least, take one step right now towards experiencing it in the very near future. Make that phone call. Get your outfit ready. Invite your friend.

7. When you're doing anything fun this Summer (or any time), really take it in. With a smile on your face, drill down to its essence and drink it in, every drop, slowly. Slow down in order to get really present to the joy and fun of doing it.

8. Revel in the abundant sunlight of summer. The sun can be very healing, invigorating and detoxifying. Make an intention as you bask in the sun or just walk in it that its rays cleanse your body of toxic emotion and substance.

9. Bask in not only the weather warmth of the season but the social warmth of friendships and get-togethers. Enriching relationships are key to happiness. This is a studied and known fact. (Read our blog, “Enhance Your Wei Chi to Increase Your Well-Being,” here.) Find ways to appreciate every single person in your life. Take one little step towards increasing the people in your life. Maybe your neighbor across the street could benefit from a friendly gesture from you as well.

10. Keep excitement in your life. Change it up. Be mindful and aware of getting out of old confining patterns. Break out. Do everything differently. Step out of the box and out of the way you've always done it.

11. If you’re feeling down, go within yourself to reach for the next highest emotion. For example, if you’re feeling anxiety, the next higher emotion might be hope–hope that things will turn out alright. Reach for that hope and notice that you immediately begin to feel better. This can help get you there–to happiness. Take it one step at a time.

This article was originally published on May 14, 2016 and was updated on May 24, 2021 for freshness and comprehensiveness.

Top Cooling Foods of Summer with Bonus Recipe

“The wise nourish life by flowing with the seasons and adapting to cold or heat, by harmonizing joy and anger in a tranquil dwelling, by balancing yin and yang, and what is hard and soft.”

— The Neijing Suwen, an ancient Chinese medical text that has been treated as the fundamental doctrinal source for Chinese medicine for more than two millennia.

We have entered the energetic season of Summer and the Fire element (May 6 to July 9) according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

In the summer, we tend to naturally gravitate to cooling (yin) foods. Now is the time when local cooling organic fruits and vegetables are in abundance. If you eat in harmony with the season, you're going to feel and do better!

The warming and cooling properties of a food have less to do with actual temperature, cooking temperature, spiciness or even individual ingredients—and more to do with the food’s balance and contrast among ingredients and the effect of these on the body when the food is ingested. (http://bottomlineinc.com/yin-yang-foods-that-make-you-feel-better/)

Here's a list of Cooling Foods for the Summer Courtesy of ChineseMedicineLiving.com

1. Apricot

2. Cantaloupe

3. Watermelon

4. Strawberries

5. Tomatoes

6. Lemon

7. Peach

8. Cucumber

9. Orange

10. Asparagus

11. Sprouts

12. Bamboo

13. Bok choy

14. Broccoli

15. Chinese cabbage

16. Corn

17. White mushroom

18. Snow peas

19. Spinach

20. Summer squash

21. Watercress

22. Seaweed

23. Mung means

24. Cilantro

25. Mint

26. Dill

27. Bitter gourd

28. Mung beans

29. Wax gourd

30. Lotus root

31. Lotus seed

32. Job’s tears

33. Bean sprouts

34. Duck

35. Fish

Watermelon Cooler Recipe

• 2 cups watermelon flesh

• 1 cup young Thai coconut water (C2O brand in health food stores is good!)

• 1/4 cup lime juice

• raw blue agave to sweeten and to taste

Run a few seconds in a high speed blender with some ice and enjoy.

8 Refreshing Uses of Lavender to Cool and Soothe for Summer

Lavender essential oil is massively utilized in the cosmetics industry. It’s also a principle unique ingredient in PHYTO5’s Fire element skin and hair care line because of its ability to cool and soothe the body (skin and scalp), the mind and emotions, and the spirit.

Though you may think lavender is a flower, it isn't. It's an evergreen fragrant shrub of the mint family.

The root of the word 'lavender' (latin: ‘lavare’) means to wash or to cleanse. In the Middle Ages it was associated with washing because the plant was used to scent washed fabrics. The Romans used lavender in bathing rituals recognizing its purifying ability which today we define as antiseptic and disinfectant.

In ancient Egypt, lavender was used in the mummification process. And in Elizabethan times, lavender was used to perfume clothes and bed linen since baths were not the common practice they are today.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

In addition to its refreshing clean fragrance, lavender has wonderful cooling and soothing properties and though there are a myriad of ways to use lavender, here are a few:

1. In skincare for cleansing and soothing the skin;

2. In medicine to soothe burns and wounds;

3. To repel mice, flies, mosquitoes and other pests;

4. In cuisine such as in lavender lemonade, dried bloom sprinkles on dessert, in cakes, as tea, and as a component of salty meals combined with cheese;

5. For relieving insomnia by rubbing a few drops of lavender essential oil on the temples;

6. To aromatize your dresser drawers with sachets made of dried lavender;

7. In glorious flower arrangements to uplift the spirit;

8. For calming nerves, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and a troubled and busy mind; Arnica-Lavender Massage Oil by PHYTO5 is excellent for this and it’s certified organic;

9. When feeling lonely and missing mother; its fragrance is a comforting analog for mother.

Lavender Lemonade

from SmallFootprintFamily dot com

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw honey (local if you can get it)

• 5 cups pure water

• 1 Tbsp. dried, organic culinary lavender (or 1/4 cup fresh lavender blossoms, crushed) (where to find online)

•  1 cup fresh-squeezed, organic lemon juice, strained

• Ice cubes

• Lavender sprigs for garnish

Instructions:

Bring 2 1/2 cups water to boil in a medium pan. Remove from heat and add honey, stirring to dissolve. Add the lavender to the honey water, cover, and let steep at least 20 minutes or up to several hours, to taste.

Strain mixture and discard lavender. Pour infusion into a glass pitcher. Add lemon juice and another 2 1/2 cups of cold water. Stir well. Refrigerate until ready to use, or pour into tall glasses half-filled with ice, then garnish with lavender sprigs.

Soothing and cooling lavender essential oil is formulated into the following PHYTO5 quantum energetic products in the Fire element line:

• Fire Skin Toner

• Day Cream

• Night Cream,

• Phyt’Ether Serum

• Red Clay Mask

• Selextreme Swiss Mountain Exfoliating Salts

• Yogi Body Gel

• Shampoo

• Organic certified Arnica-Lavender Massage Oil.

The First Day of Summer Is May 6 According to Traditional Chinese Medicine. Here's Why.

June 20, the Summer Solstice, is widely regarded as the first day of Summer. The Summer Solstice marks the longest day of the year but it’s not necessarily the best indicator of the first day of Summer.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a time-honored practice dating back to more than two centuries before the common era, follows the principles set forth in the Wu Xing, also known as the Five Element Theory.

In the Wu Xing, we are given the dates for the four seasons plus the periods "between seasons.”

Traditional Chinese thinkers were fond of pondering the cyclical aspects of nature with the repetition of days, moons, seasons and years as they observed the effects of those cycles on all living organisms. 

Humans, like animals and plants, are affected by nature’s cycles, so it is not surprising that the study of nature was the first basis in their understanding of vital energy. Knowing that there can be no effect without a cause, the predictable seasonal patterns pointed to the existence of a cause.

Unlike ancient Greeks and Egyptians who attributed cause to the whims of various gods, the Chinese simply saw chi (energy) as the mover of matter but not as a deity. They saw this energy being responsible for cyclical and predictable stages and changes. They evolved the more complex and subtle Law of the Five Elements which includes the energies symbolically named Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water and the multiple aspects of their interrelationship.

The ancient Chinese saw how the cycles of the seasons profoundly impact everything from weather to plants and crops, animals and even human mental well-being.

They surmised that to each season corresponds a specific energy that influences all life forms. They concluded that in addition to the cyclical movement of yin and yang, there must also be changing energies causing, and therefore related to, seasonal changes. They subdivided yin and yang into five phases, also called elements that they named: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. These five phases are also known as the Wu Xing.

In the Wu Xing, summer begins May 7 and ends July 19. Shortly thereafter and until August 6 is a "between seasons" period leading up to the Fall season.

According to the Wu Xing, the 72 days of Summer is a period of swelling and flowering, full of energy and fire. The heart and the small intestine are the organs that require focus at this time so that their function may be balanced and in harmony with the season. 

The element of Summer according to TCM is Fire. The out-of-balance-with-Fire skin condition presents as red, irritated, sensitive, blotchy, allergic skin. PHYTO5’s Fire skin and hair care line strives to bring those symptoms back into balance as it soothes and calms. 

The emotionality of Summer is joy, but more so, joy in balance. This means that if joy goes overboard or is expressed as wild exuberance, the emotion is out of balance. To live in harmony with any of the five seasons of TCM means we are in balance with all its attributes. An in-balance Summer type would very much tend to be joyful but in a balanced way.

This Summer, be sure to have fun and be balanced in your joy. Your time for seriousness comes in the Fall.

#####

Photo by cottonbro at Pexels.com.

This article, originally published on May 10, 2016 was updated on May 16, 2021 for freshness and comprehensiveness.

Your Skin Is a Diagnosis Tool

“Our appearance reflects our inner health. Very often, what we first see with skin, hair and nails is simply a reflection of inner imbalances.”

— Ann Louise Gittleman, MS, CNS, Author of The Living Beauty Detox Program (Harper, San Francisco, 2000)

Deficiency and/or Toxicity Shows Up on the Face:

Skin is the last organ of the body to receive vitamins and minerals. This is why chronic acne, pimples or dryness, for example, often signal nutritional deficiencies. Breakouts can also mean toxins are overloading your body. It forces some organs to work overtime to discharge them.

"Skin acts sometimes as a secondary elimination route for either the intestines or the liver, which are intimately connected with the removal of bodily waste," Gittleman says.

So if breakouts, patches, discoloration or irritation show up on the skin, take it as a sign something's out of balance. Either a cleanse is in order or a better diet!

5 Great Detoxifiers for Skin and Body:

• Soft Clay

• Algae

• Sea salt

• Antioxidants

• Charcoal

According to Chinese medical philosophy, certain areas of the tongue reflect the health of internal organs:

Tip of the tongue: Heart, lungs
Center: Stomach, intestines
Roots: Kidneys
Sides: Liver, gallbladder

.......................................................................................

The skin of certain parts of the body reflect the health of these internal organs:

Nose: Heart
Cheek: Lungs, stomach
Forehead: Intestines
Lips: Intestines
Chin: Reproductive organs
Under eyes: Kidneys
Between brows: Liver

The Energy of Spring Can Help You Lose Weight

The Spring season according to the Five Element Theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) runs from February 5 to April 17. Spring is the season of the Wood element in TCM philosophy.  It represents the rise of yang energy that will eventually culminate in the Fire/ Summer season. The Wood organs are liver and gall bladder. We want to focus on encouraging our yang energy which is naturally rising during the Spring. It’s also wise to support the liver for optimum cultivation of health during the season. Our goal is to live in harmony with the vigor and the upward tendency of yang energy that we witness in nature everywhere as buds begin to poke through the weathered soil of Winter.

Get the most out of energetic Spring and support your weight loss goals with the following best practices for the season according to TCM.

Rest and go inward as much as possible. Your time to get up and go in Summer is just around the corner.

Go to bed a little later and get up a little earlier every morning.

The body’s metabolism tends to speed up in Spring. If you'd like to lose weight, take advantage of Spring's natural easing of appetite and increased metabolism. Work with your body's desire to move energy by increasing your physical activity. Try to enjoy some walks in the morning sunlight and focus on gently unfolding and lengthening your body as you do.

Do a simple daily cleanse during the Spring for liver and gall bladder. Such a cleanse can be based on certain teas or juices.

Consume food and drink with generative and raising properties. Highly nutritious green vegetables and fruits are important to strengthen constitution and resist sickness, and fruits in season such as strawberries are beneficial as well.

Include bitter foods in your diet. These are fruits, vegetables, and herbs having a sharp, pungent taste or smell, not sweet.

Nourish your liver daily or as often as possible with hot/warm water and lemon.

Drink beverages with generative and yang energy raising properties. Scented teas, for example, dissipate cold pathogens which have accumulated in the body over Winter. Honey added boosts chi energy.

Apply PHYTO5’s Wood element Phyt’Ether to the liver and gall bladder reflex zones on the face. The liver zone is the area between the eyebrows extending from the bridge of the nose upward approximately one and a half inches. The gall bladder zone runs along the outer side of the eye in the temple area to the hairline. (See illustration, right.) Also apply Wood Yogi Body Gel to the outside of the legs which will support circulation on the gall bladder meridian. 

If your skin is oily, has blackheads and/or hyperpigmentation,  cleanse well and massage in a drop of PHYTO5’s Wood element on the affected areas and apply Wood element Day Cream. If your skin is well balanced taking your age into account, now is the time of year for you, too, to enjoy Wood Day Cream. Extract of wheat and essential oils of lemon and rosemary activate the natural defenses of the skin to combat the effects of poor diet and/or lack of cellular oxygenation. Essential oils in this cream are antiseptic, toning and stimulating and help provide protection from weather’s high and low pressure and windy and changeable weather associated with Spring.

This article was originally published on April 4, 2016 and has been updated with additional information for greater comprehensiveness.

####

Liu, Zhanwen, et al. Health Cultivation in Chinese Medicine. People's Medical Publishing House, 2012.