Simplify my Feet?

This post can now be found at www.BEarthBLOG.com

Happy simplifying!
Blessings & Health,
Kristie
www.HerbnHome.com

The Illusion of Healing

Many studies and people interested in natural healing focus on the chemical effects of pharmaceuticals and the dangers these side-effects can be to the body. However, there is not as much focus put on the equally dangerous "healing illusion" that they create.

I was speaking to someone yesterday who told me a typical story. They had been taking some medication for a while, they felt better and then they stopped. A few weeks later they were feeling very badly and wondered why. They started taking their medication again and felt better. Their conclusion? "I must not have been ready to stop yet."

However, there is really no reason they should ever be "ready to stop". What made them think they would one day "be ready to stop?"

This is a misconception that many people have about their medications. There is a difference between medications and healing. There are some modern pharmaceuticals that claim to heal various diseases (the jury is still out on many of these claims) but most pharmaceuticals and even the doctors themselves are very honest with their patients - "This medication will help relieve the effects of this disease. You will most likely be taking this medication the rest of your life." In most cases, even the medicines that do "heal" create a temporary situation. Once the medication is halted, the problem may come back "full force" years later.

And this is the reality. Medications relieve - they do not usually heal. The danger with not being aware of this is that it creates a "healing illusion" in people so they are less motivated to make life changes that they need to make to heal, and they are less likely to seek out herbs or therapies that WILL heal them.

What makes the illusion even more powerful is that people often feel so much better after taking their medication for a few weeks that they often go back to their old habits. Before medication they were watching what they ate because their heartburn was so bad. After medication it does not matter anymore. They go back to eating all the fried at fatty food that caused the problem in the first place.

While modern medicine does have its place, and I have seen many instances where relief enabled a person to continue living, the misunderstanding of modern medicine has caused many people to go deeper into their illness and prolong their pain and illness when they actually have the power to heal instead.

I would like to encourage anyone who is taking pharmaceuticals to remember that these drugs are helping you - NOT healing you. They can help you have enough energy so that you have the time and spirit to pursue real change and healing in your life. They can take away crippling conditions so you can drive to the health food store and supply yourself with fresh organic foods and herbs. They can clear your mind and focus you so you have the clarity of thought it takes to sort through all the information out there and really find some life changing solutions for your illness. They can also help you feel better so you have the energy it takes to visit different healers and seek out natural healing alternatives. However, pharmaceuticals will not heal you.

As long as you are taking medication and doing nothing else to help your condition, you should expect to be on that medication your entire life. Your hope of escaping the "pills" comes with the effort you put into healing the underlying causes of your illness. You can do this at the same time you are taking your pharmaceutical drugs. There are many herbs and healing methods that are compatible with modern drugs and sometimes all it takes is changed sleep habits, more exercise or a slight change in diet. Many people don't realize you can do both at the same time - relieve with modern medicine AND heal with natural therapies.

If you want to consider this the best place to start is with a natural health care practitioner who can help you create a program that is compatible with the modern pharmaceuticals you are taking. I offer online consulting at www.HerbnHome.com However, there are also many resources online and in your community.

Misuse of the Temperaments

Misuse of the Temperaments

Last week someone made a comment on a video I have on YouTube. They said, "Phlegmatic, Sanguine, etc...? These ideas died with the Middle Ages!"

Well, for better or for worse, they are still alive and well. This person has probably experienced them in some modern incarnation and not even realized it.

There are over 100 systems of "typology" including Tim LaHaye, Keirsey, Jung, and many more. Some of these systems may be more familiar to you than the "Sanguine/Phlegmatic" system. Have you ever been told you were a "type A" or a "NJ" or a "Guardian"? All of these systems are based in the age-old system of typology, which brings us back to the sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric and melancholic again. In fact, in my online class on the temperaments (www.TheAvicennaInstitute.com ) I have created a chart that compares over 50 of these systems - and they all correspond in some way. It is amazing how there can be so many different systems, but when you compare them you see that they are all just interpretations of one basic system.

This is where the "for better or worse" comes in. These systems can actually heal people instantly who would usually go through years of counseling. I have seen people heal overnight once they became aware that their "problems" were actually based in their temperament. This may seem incredible, but if you think about it, it does make sense. Many mental issues we have are made worse by family, friends, or society telling a person "there is something wrong with you". A person then becomes obsessed with this "what is wrong" and pursues a solution, often taking medications and attending counseling sessions. Consider that many people are actually "diagnosed" as their temperament rather than their actual disease. In fact, some temperamental behaviours that are normal actually have names in the medical industry.

Of course there are a number of people who do have some medical problem and need to pursue an avenue of therapy and healing for that illness. However, I have seen too many people being misdiagnosed to believe that it does not happen more often than we are lead to believe.

Using a person's temperament to help them heal mentally, physically or emotionally is one of the most wonderful modern and ancient uses of the temperament tool. In Waldorf education, a child's temperament is used to help them learn in a more harmonious manner.

However, in modern times this tool is also being "misused". Have you ever taken a "typology test" such as the Meyer's-Briggs or other test? Have you ever been given a "test" when you went to interview for a job? Many Fortune 500 companies are using these "tests" to give them insight into the type of people they are hiring. However, this use of the temperament tool has great potential for disaster.

First, a form can only give a person so much information. It can help a knowledgeable practitioner narrow down possibilities, but if the person is only filling in ovals and not providing a verbal dialogue (on paper or in person) as well, then the information can become meaningless. Once a form is filled out, the practitioner needs to talk to the person in some way and gain further insight into them via their e-mail or voice and then cross-reference that with their "test results". In the corporate atmosphere this is rarely done.

Secondly, even if the temperament or typology of each employee or potential employee is correct, only someone with experience would know what to do with this information. My partner, Steve, tells me the story of a man who once hired him to "figure out all the type As - because I only want to hire Type As". Anyone who knows anything about Type As knows that this is asking for trouble! However, the man insisted and hired five brand new employees - all Type As. Needless to say his company became very inefficient. He spent so much time trying to coordinate all these natural leaders that he had to "start over" his company about 6 months later.

I look forward to the day when this tool is used by more people, and in the way it was intended to be used. If you have any stories to share on this topic please leave them in the comments below.

The Importance of Temperaments in Healing

This article can now be found at www.BEarthBLOG.com

Cosmetics & Skin Care Safety Database

I was given some nice "natural" perfume the other day from Origins as a sample and was so excited! I am quite allergic to all perfumes and so I always need to be careful that I use only real essences - basically essential oils with some carrier (water or oil). The perfume was advertised as "all natural" and "essence". However, the minute I used it I had about three different reactions. I immediately Googled the name of the perfume with the word "ingredients" and found a wonderful database online for checking ALL of my soaps & costmetics!

I wanted to share it with all of you. The site is at:

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/

Enjoy! A lot of the information is a bit shocking and surprising. I am especially dissapointed that the entire Orgins line does not rate very high. I am so weary of mass marketers trying to steal business away from legitimate organic and natural small businesses by advertising their products and natural when they are not. I usually make many of my own cosmetics - but when someone gives me something free I find it hard to say no. Well, at least I USED to!

How One Person Can Help the Economy

Sofi, thanking the local goats for her cheese :)

There are so many things we can do to save the economy. One thing I am doing to help is to make every cent I spend be significant in some way. I am making sure as much of my money as possible is going directly to people and not big corporations. I look around me, I listen to what my friends are saying and I watch the news and I see that there are hundreds and thousands of people just like me suffering from the poor economy and suffering from the fees and rates banks pile on us. Sometimes just a few dollars can make a difference to a family like ours. When you are struggling to get by, a few dollars can buy milk, some more gas, or even an item of clothing for a child.





When I spend my money I want to know that that is where it is going. If money comes out of my home and away from my family (to buy clothing, food or gifts) I want to know that it is enabling someone else to purchase those same items. When you purchase from large corporations your $5.00 gets broken into parts - $4.70 goes to the corporation, ten cents goes to China, ten cents goes to running the business and ten cents goes to the person who is at the cash register. These numbers change according to what corporation you are purchasing from but the idea is basically the same, most of your money is going over-seas or to someone who already has enough.





This week I purchased the following items and I know where my money went:





Local Goat Cheese from Local Farm - $4.25 - Money went directly back into their business to keep them running and into their pockets to purchase food for their own family.





Handmade Sweater from Local Business Owner - $50.00 - This sweater will last me ten times as long as any machine-made sweater. The money went directly into the business to keep it running and into their pockets to support their family.





Jar of Honey from Local Farm - $3.25 - Money went directly to the farm owner. I even placed it in her hands.





Hand-spun Yarn - $10.00 - Money went directly to the person who raised the sheep.





Coffee at Local Coffee Shop - $4.50 - Money is helping to support their business. Hopefully if more people go there each day and spend $4.50 they won't go out of business during these rough times and they won't be driven out of business by Starbucks.





Groceries at a market that supports local agriculture, dance lessons from a local dance teacher...





The list goes on and on....





It feels really good to know that my money is going to real people. I almost feel like every time I shop I am making a donation, instead of just "spending money". On a more "morbid" note, I also think, "well, at least if I go down with the economy my money went to prevent other people from the same fate" - LOL!





So vote with your dollar and help out your neighbors and friends and local business people as well as anyone running a small business. We may be going through rough times but we can help each other simply by making our spending really count!

How I Never Forget "My Bags"

I love re-usable grocery bags and can't live without them - for many reasons. Of course they are great for the environment but also they fit a lot more groceries than the standard plastic bags so they allow me to get into the house with my groceries in fewer trips. An added bonus is that the checkers usually are happy to let me pack my own bags and since nobody seems to have any idea how to pack groceries anymore that makes me even more happy :) I actually arrive home with nothing smashed and everything where it should be!

So my favorite new discovery has been portable nylon bags. The bags themselves are not "eco-friendly" - they are made out of some nylon material. However, the fact that I have not forgotten my shopping bags since purchasing these is VERY eco-friendly. I use these EVERYWHERE now - not just the grocery store. It used to be that I only used them for grocery shopping, and then only on planned trips when I could remember to lug my 5 eco-friendly canvas bags into the store. I never brought them to the mall, or to other stores and I often forgot them or did not have them if I just suddenly decided to stop by a store and pick up some milk and eggs.

I actually found these bags for only $1.00 each in the dollar section of Jo-Ann Fabrics AND Target. However, you can find them online for various prices and in various prints. I have included a picture of my purse and my bags above. Here are some places I have found them online:

DON'T get sucked into paying more than $5.00 for such a bag. Brands like "Baguu" are making these bags a fashion statement and charging $22.00 and up for them! Their bags probably cost about ten cents to make - the same as all the rest!

Here are some more reasonably priced bags (note: It took me an hour to find the best deals online last night so...these are the best of what an hour search came up with. These are not just randomly picked):

Chico Bags from Reusablebag.com come in many colors are are extra large. $4.95 ea.

A set of 3 for 12.99 from GreenShopper.com here: Green Shopper

Sale priced at only 1.35 (down from 6.95) this WEDDING FAVOR shop actually has some really nice ones! Get them while they are still there! This was a "find"! They come in many colors. I am providing the link to the IVORY BAG.

Buying in bulk for a business or organization to re-sell as a fundraiser? Try: Bulletin Bags

Enjoy!

Blessings & Health,

Kristie

http://www.herbnhome.com/

www.NaturopathicHealingCourse.com