Of all the systems of the body, the endocrine system is the most complex and perhaps least understood by conventional science. Intricately linked to the brain and nervous system, this fascinating network is comprised of the endocrine glands, the hormones they secrete, and related biochemical messengers that regulate every function in the body. Not long ago, scientists believed that there were approximately 40 hormones circulating the body, while today they have accounted for over 100. One can only wonder how many more of these mystifying substances will be discovered in the future as we begin to grasp the full scope of this intriguing system. The word hormone was derived from the Greek word for "excite," thus linking our hormones to our emotions. This is further explained when we understand that the pituitary gland, known as our master gland, is located in the hypothalamus region of the midbrain. The hypothalamus is part of the limbic system, known as the ancient "reptilian" brain, that governs our emotions and instinctual processes such as hunger, thirst and sexuality. It is here that our feelings are processed and hormonal signals sent from the pituitary gland to the various other glands for appropriate physical and behavioral response. Each hormone is like a highly specialized key, designed to transmit its message only to certain target receptor cells that are capable of recognizing that particular hormone. Hormones act by turning on or off the genes for a special function, or by regulating the rate at which these functions are performed. The endocrine system is an intricate feedback system with impeccable timing in which hormones release or suppress other hormones to maintain the delicate balance of life. Height, weight, growth, maturation, adaptation to stress, [...]

As the days become shorter and we move into the latter days of autumn, the decrease in sunlight can affect our moods. Seasonal Affective Disorder, known as S.A.D., is a form of depression from which many suffer during the darker days of winter. There are many other causes of depression as well, a condition that has become pervasive in our society and is rapidly increasing. The National Institutes of Health has estimated that over 20 million (one in twenty) Americans may be suffering from depression that is serious enough to require professional treatment. Depression is now something that even our children are experiencing in greater numbers. Teenage suicide rates are escalating, as the stresses of daily life have become overwhelming for so many. Conventional medical treatment for depression has often been the prescription of antidepressant medications that alter the brain chemistry by increasing levels of the neurotransmitters seratonin and norepinephrine. in the brain. Seratonin is known as a "feel good" hormone that enables us to relax and enjoy life. norepinephrine. is a stimulant to the body and mind. The popular SSRI drugs Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil work by blocking the re-uptake process of seratonin so that more will accumulate in the brain. Other drugs such as Elavil, Adapin, and Aventyl are known as tricyclic antidepressants. They work by preventing seratonin and norepinephrine. from returning to the nerve cells that released them. The class of drugs known as MAO inhibitors, such as Nardil and Parnate act by indirectly stimulating the production of norepinephrine. and seratonin in the brain by inhibiting the enzyme that normally breaks them down. Though many people experience some symptomatic relief from their depression, others feel worse when taking these drugs. All of [...]

Aromatherapy is the art and science of using the essential oils of flowers and plants for beautifying, balancing, and healing the body, mind, and spirit. Modern man has found evidence of aromatherapy as far back as 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia where archaeologists found distillation devices used to extract essential oils from plants. The ancient cultures of Egypt, Greece, Rome, Babylon, India, and China all utilized the properties of plant oils for various purposes. The Egyptians perfected the art of embalming with the oil from the resins of myrrh and frankincense, historically known as the most precious of oils. Their antiseptic properties were also used for healing, and their subtle qualities were used for rituals to access the spiritual realms. Today, these oils are still employed in churches to purify and cleanse sacred spaces of lower energies. In ancient Greece, Hippocrates declared that "the way to health is to have an aromatic bath and scented massage every day." The Greeks believed the sweetest fragrances to be of divine origin. In their mythology, the gods descended to Earth on scented clouds. The ancient Romans designed their palaces and bathhouses around channels of flowing water infused with the essence of rose petals. Roman students wore garlands of rosemary to stimulate the mind centers to help them study. The art of herbal oils was also used to enhance sensual pleasure, as Cleopatra well knew when she met Marc Antony on her royal barge, its sails drenched in the oil of jasmine, a potent aphrodisiac. In medieval Europe, the Druids and Celtic goddess cultures used the mystical properties of herbal scents, and anointed themselves with herbal salves to travel interdimensionally, or to scry for visions. Even as Christianity later [...]

As the March winds begin to blow and the days become longer, we are reminded that spring will soon be here, bringing us out of our winter hibernation and into a more active lifestyle. Unlike our ancestors who had to be physically active in order to survive, many people now spend most of their day sitting at a desk, in a car or on a couch with a majority of their energy directed towards mental pursuits. How wonderful to be able to enjoy the comforts of technology, however one might wonder how a comparatively sedentary lifestyle would affect a body that was designed to move. The human body was created for the purpose of living on the earth and accomplishing the tasks of survival. Since the beginning of human existence, our bodies have enabled us to hunt and gather food, traverse rugged terrain, swim turbulent waters, climb mountains and trees, and run from predators. Our bodies are capable of harnessing tremendous power and speed when necessary, and engaging in activities that require agility and flexibility. When in optimum form, we can perform these feats with amazing grace. A strong body is inherently more capable of coping with the stresses of daily life. When physically fit, we naturally feel more present in our bodies and more confident in our ability to handle our physical environment. We have the energy and vitality to actively participate in life, and to move forward in our lives with flexibility and ease. It is important to realize that, though we are born with great physical potential, this potential can only be achieved through the commitment to use our bodies as they were intended. The proverbial "use it or lose it" is [...]

Of all the natural healing therapies available to us today, flower essences are perhaps one of the most outstanding examples of Earth’s living library in action. The medieval Swiss alchemist Parcelsus referred to nature as a book written in cosmic script, its forms and processes reflecting the working of higher universal laws. His Doctrine of Signatures described the many similarities between plants and humans and how this determined the healing properties of plants. He noted that the way a plant adapted to the stresses and challenges of the environment through its growth patterns, colors, form and relationship to other plants and animals served as a key to how that plant could help humans adjust to similar stressed in life. In the early part of this century, the English physician Dr. Edward Bach gave up his practice to search for a method of treatment that would not require the body to be harmed in any way. He theorized that the root of all illness is a result of deep conflict within the soul, and that disease occurs when the personality of a person is not properly harmonized with the higher self. Like his ancestors before him, Bach began his search by studying the natural world around him. He came to realize that the wisdom of the plants, or the soul of nature as he called it, could be harnessed to correct imbalances in the human soul so that healing could take place. Bach created 38 flower essence remedies by preparing a homeopathic solution from the flowers of those plants that he identified as healers for basic personality disturbances. He chose the flower because it is in the process of blossoming that the soul qualities of nature [...]

Most would agree that we are living in an exciting era with an abundance of choices and a feeling of acceleration, as if time is speeding up -- so little time and so much to do! With this excitement may come emotional and physical stress, as evidenced by the increase in disease on a global scale. Media reports abound describing new resistant strains of bacteria that conventional drugs cannot touch. Chronic anxiety and depression are so commonplace now that millions of people take mood-altering drugs such as Prozac and Zoloft, with an alarming number of our children on Ritalin for attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity. We all know someone who has been "stricken" with cancer or AIDS, and many of us worry about our own health and that of our family. In the face of so many challenges, how can we maintain our sense of balance so as not to get caught up in the web of fear and hopelessness that surrounds us? What purpose does disease serve, and how can we benefit from it? Perhaps these questions can be answered by the earth herself. If we look at planetary cycles on a larger scale we can see a pattern emerging that is quite remarkable. According the Mayans, earth’s ancient timekeepers, we are nearing the completion of a 200,000 year cycle signaling what was called by the Mayans The Shift of the Ages. The Mayans believed that during the period from 1992 to 2012 we would experience the last subcycle within this grand cycle which would be characterized by great planetary change. In his book, Awakening to Zero Point, geologist Gregg Braden explains how the earth’s electromagnetic field reflects these changes quite dramatically. He explains [...]

Since the beginning of time as we know it, love between the sexes has been the driving force of our survival as a species.  Countless stories have been written about it, wars have been fought over it, and yet the relationship between men and women still remains one of life’s greatest mysteries. Men and women are irrevocably attracted to one another and can’t seem to live without each other, yet both men and women seem perplexed about what makes the other tick.  Women often become frustrated with their men and wonder why men can’t be more like them.  To many women, men seem incapable of giving them the emotional support and commitment they are seeking in a relationship, yet men are equally exasperated with women and often puzzled about what women want from them. In the last fifty years gender roles have changed dramatically, adding more confusion to our expectations, yet the biology of sexuality and the innate physical, mental and emotional differences between men and women have not changed in thousands of years, and it is not likely that they will dramatically change any time soon. In his fascinating book, “What Could He Be Thinking?”, Michael Gurian describes the science behind the differences between men and women, reflected in how their brains function.  Much of the mystery can be dispelled when we understand that the male and female brain operate very differently from one another, and that our hormones dictate much of our behavior, both physically and emotionally. Recent research has demonstrated, through MRI and PET scans of the brain, that men and women’s brains function very differently.  For example, when processing emotions, far more areas of the brain were active and lit up [...]

Breathing seems so natural, so easy, so taken for granted in many cases as an automatic activity our body must do in order to stay alive. In western civilization breathing is recognized primarily as a physical function of the respiratory system that takes vital oxygen into the body on the inhale and processes carbon dioxide and other waste out of the body through the exhale. We know that we can go without food for days, and without water for hours, however, we can survive without oxygen for only a few minutes. All bodily processes such as circulation, digestion and elimination depend on oxygen. Oxygen helps the body to produce energy, balance metabolism, purify the body of wastes, and fight infection. Since anaerobic bacteria, viruses and fungi cannot live in an aerobic (oxygen-rich) environment, high blood oxygen levels are important for a strong immune system. In fact, some studies show that 70% of all toxic waste is eliminated through the breath. Today oxygen intake is even more critical than ever before. Two hundred years ago our ancestors breathed air with a 36% oxygen content. Today we breathe air with only 19% oxygen due to deforestation and pollution. In humid conditions or high altitudes there is even less available oxygen, and for those of us that spend most of our time indoors, stale or recirculated air is even more oxygen-depleted. It is no wonder that so many oxygen therapies have sprung up in holistic circles in an attempt to "breathe" into the body what it so desperately needs for vitality. Food grade hydrogen peroxide and ozone therapy are just a few examples. We are now only just beginning to understand what Eastern civilizations have known for centuries [...]

As we approach the 21st Century, we can marvel at the technological advances that have rapidly changed the way we live. In many ways life appears easier than it was for our ancestors who toiled daily for their food and often feared for their safety. However, it is this same technology that has vastly altered the environment of the earth and upset the ecological balance upon which our lives depend. In reality, our ancestors enjoyed a state of health that many only dream of today. In the balanced environment of the past, hundreds of thousands of beneficial microorganisms lived in the soil and in our waters, metabolizing essential elements into vital micronutrients that provided food for plant life to thrive. Animals and humans ingested these friendly microbes with the plants they ate, and in a natural process, these microorganisms would then colonize their intestinal tracts and live symbiotically with their hosts. These friendly bacteria are called probiotics, meaning "for life" (in contrast to anti-biotics which means "against life"). Probiotics, in essence, balance our internal environment and are essential to health in many ways. When present in our bodies, probiotics help to enhance the function of the entire gastrointestinal tract, and protect us against harmful foreign invaders such as pathogenic (disease causing) bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. They also produce essential vitamins and hormones and regulate their levels, maintain the chemical balance (pH) of the entire digestive system, promote assimilation of nutrients and elimination of toxins, and are critical to a healthy immune system. A healthy digestive system is home to approximately 400 different species of beneficial bacteria that make up approximately two pounds of an adult’s body weight. The most notable of these probiotics are [...]

In ancient times humans discovered the healing properties of a plant by observing how the plant lived in its natural habitat: the colors, shape, and the texture of the plant, and its pattern of growth. These told the stories of the difficulties the plant had encountered in its development and the way these challenges had been overcome. The people related this to the human body and realized that the body, with its different functions and internal environment, represented the plant within us. When the body was stressed beyond its capacity for self-restoration, the plant that had learned to deal with the same kind of stress could "teach" the body how to balance itself. An example of this would be the aloe vera plant that has learned to adapt to a hot, dry climate by retaining moisture. Aloe vera gel has been used to moisturize dry skin and to heal burns. Throughout time, herbal wisdom has been carried forward through the native traditions, folklore, and midwifery. Today, one can find several books and classes on medicinal herbs. Still, with all of the resources now available to us for learning about herbs, many people become overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin. When I first started learning about herbs, I quickly realized that with hundreds of herbs to choose form, I needed to find a simple way of looking at the different kinds of herbs so that I could start using them with confidence. I was delighted to find that herbs could be classified into five basic groups, with each group having different and distinct action on the body. Aromatic Herbs: The healing properties of these herbs are due to the volatile oils that give many of [...]