In the last twenty years as a natural health practitioner, I have recommended many natural therapies including diet, nutritional supplements, herbs, flower essences, aromatherapy, homeopathy, bodywork, electromagnetic healing modalities and emotional healing techniques.  I have worked with hundreds of people over the years to help them detoxify and balance their systems, and my experience has been that a majority of them have been quite willing to participate in all of the therapies I recommend, with one exception. In those cases where I strongly recommend colon hydrotherapy, commonly known as colonics, there is often resistance.  It is okay to ingest an herbal formula to stimulate bowel cleansing, however the thought of inserting water into the colon to wash away toxins is just too much to bear!   Now this attitude is certainly understandable considering the emotional issues that can be associated with this part of body.  After all, this is where we eliminate our toxic wastes which can be quite nasty.  Some people have body memories that involve toilet training trauma or abuse in this area.  It's all about letting go, and often the release of toxic matter can stimulate a similar release of toxic emotions.  If we are the kind of person that finds it hard to "let go" of dysfunctional patterns, situations and relationships, then we may also find that our body will have difficulty eliminating accumulated waste.  Yet this is exactly what we need to do to heal and transform our body and mind. Colon hydrotherapy is actually an ancient healing technique that was first documented historically in the Edwin Papyrus of 1700 B.C. and the Ebers Papyrus, an Egyptian medical document of the 14th Century B.C..  In these documents instructions for enemas were given using [...]

For millions of years humans walked barefoot on the Earth and slept on the ground. They worked, played and rested in direct contact with the Earth’s surface and were always connected to the planet’s life-giving forces. We may recall the joyful feeling of running barefoot in the grass, or the warm tingling sensation of walking barefoot on the beach. The feeling of well-being we get from touching our skin to the skin of the Earth can last for hours, and the sleep that follows is deep and restful. If only we could feel like that all of the time! Life is very different now on planet Earth, with most modern humans rarely stepping barefoot on the ground. We live in houses and work in buildings many of which are several stories high above the Earth’s surface. Our environment is filled with disruptive electromagnetic fields produced by modern technology, and we wear synthetic soled shoes that insulate us from the Earth’s energy. In their “groundbreaking” book, “Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever?” authors Clint Ober, integrative cardiologist Dr. Stephen Sinatra, and health writer Martin Zucker describe the profound health benefits of connecting to the Earth. Ober grew up near an Indian reservation where he played barefoot with Native American children. He recalls a Native American mother telling her son to take off his shoes as they would make him sick, and another child on the reservation who became very ill with scarlet fever and healed after lying in a shallow pit in the ground. As an adult Ober worked in the cable TV industry where he made his fortune heading up the largest U.S. cable TV installation company.  After recovering from a serious illness at [...]

Long ago, our ancestors’ view of the world was shaped by an inherent belief in the cosmic connection between life on earth and the omniscient power of the natural laws of the universe.  There was a time when astronomers were also astrologers, and humans were more conscious of the ebbs and flows within their bodies as the sun, moon and planets moved through their cycles.  Hippocrates, known today as the father of modern medicine, advised all physicians to develop a working knowledge of astrology to better diagnose and treat their patients’ health conditions.  He said, “A physician cannot safely administer medicine if he is unacquainted with astrology.” When a baby is ready to be born, it secretes a hormone from the medulla portion of the brain which triggers the uterus to go into labor.  This fact supports the idea that we choose when to be born.  A personal horoscope is a chart or map of the heavens calculated for the exact date, time and place of birth that can be viewed as a blueprint of patterns and potentials in the life of that person.  The position of each planet around the wheel of the chart, the sectors (houses) in which they fall, and their mathematical relationship to each other (aspects) describe the kind of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual gifts, lessons and challenges a person might experience in that life.  Evolutionary astrology utilizes the horoscope as a window into the soul’s journey through lifetimes of growth, that is, where it has been and where it is going. Most people know their astrological sun sign which is one of twelve signs in the zodiac.  Each sign is associated with an element (fire, air, earth, water) and [...]

Dance is the union of music and movement. The rhythmic bodily motions inherent in dance are instinctive within all of us.  Who hasn’t felt the impulse to move when listening to a song with a compelling beat, or the exhilaration of melting into the focused meditation of a dance? Dance has been a part of human life throughout history across the globe and likely before there was even a word for it.  At its essence, dance is a form of communication that was birthed from the human desire for personal expression and social connection.  Primitive cultures employed dance as a means to tell stories of events that people experienced, including passage from childhood to adulthood, the change of seasons, and to dramatize the hunt or battles that were fought.  In fact, the word “history” is derived from the word “histor”, the ancient Roman term for dance.  Before the written word, the gestures of dance and the stories they told preserved traditions and ensured survival of the tribe. Dance eventually evolved into two primary forms.  Social dances celebrated births, commemorated deaths, and marked special events, while magical dances invoked the gods to bring rain, end famine or cure the sick. Shamans, the first choreographers, used dance to enter altered states of consciousness, drive out evil spirits and encourage healing.  Shamans still do this in some cultures with results which defy conventional science. Rhythmic sound accompaniment was originally provided by the dancers themselves, then evolved into percussion instruments such as drums and shakers.  Melodies were later added through vocalization, yet the foundation of dance was the rhythmic beat which allowed dancers to keep time and regulate the pace of the movement.  This still remains true today, as [...]

Approximately 30 million American men and 300 million men worldwide experience erectile dysfunction, commonly called ED.  Formerly referred to as impotence, ED is the inability of a man to develop or maintain a firm erection long enough for satisfactory sexual performance. While occasional difficulty keeping it up is normal, moderate to chronic ED is stressful and disheartening to both the man and his partner, causing relationship problems, low self-esteem and depression. Cases of ED are most prevalent in men over 60 years of age, yet men of all ages can experience problems maintaining an erection.  When ED occurs at least 25% of the time it is cause for concern.   Many men are too embarrassed to discuss this problem with their physicians, but reported cases of some level of ED include 10% of men in their twenties and thirties, 50% of men aged 40 to 70, and 70% of men in their seventies.  Approximately 1 in 10 adult males suffers long term from ED.  Researchers conducted a survey of college-age males in Chicago and found to their surprise that 13% of 234 men reported having ED, and 6% reported using ED drugs. The word impotence is derived from the Latin word impotencia which means lack of power.  Throughout history, a man’s sexual potency has been a marker of his masculine power.  The first recorded reference to impotence was noted in the Indian Samhita in the 8th century BC.  A suggested cure was to eat the testes of a goat boiled in milk with sesame seeds and porpoise lard.  The ancient Egyptians considered impotence to be the result of either a physical disease or an evil charm.  A recommended remedy was to smear a mixture of baby [...]

Most of us have had the experience of walking into a place and feeling a sense of uneasiness.  It could be someone’s home, an office, a store or even a plot of land.  When looking for a home to live in it is often the feel of the place that is the determining factor in our decision, regardless of the building structure or décor.  A building can be altered and redecorated to make it more comfortable as is typically done in Feng Shui, however it is the land itself that holds a particular energy that  permeates the structure and ultimately affects the well being of its inhabitants. Geopathic stress is a term derived from the Greek words geo meaning of the earth and pathos meaning suffering or disease.  Geopathic  energies are natural radiations that rise up through the earth and are distorted by electromagnetic fields created by subterranean running water, fault lines, underground cavities, and certain mineral deposits.  The electromagnetic wavelength of these distorted energies can be harmful to humans, animals and plants with frequent or long-term exposure. Man-made geopathic stress zones are created by mining, foundations for tall buildings, tunnels, underground transport systems, and public utilities for water and sewage.  Electromagnetic pollution from high tension power lines both above and under the ground, radio waves, microwaves from cellular phone towers and a multitude of electric appliances contribute to an environment that challenges our health. Geopathic energies pass through walls, windows, floors and closed doors and can change according to the season or time of day.  Though invisible, they have a powerful effect on all living organisms.  Sleeping, living and working in geopathic areas often leads to emotional and physical problems.  Typically, people that live [...]

Milk is the only substance specifically designed and prepared by nature as food. In her wisdom, nature populated the planet with species of animals that could provide an abundance of this nourishing elixir for humans. Antelope, reindeer, sheep, camels, goats, water buffalo, bison, zebras, yaks, oxen and cows have all served humans in this way. Historians link human consumption of animal milk with the beginning of civilization, dating back at least 30,000 years. In fact, no state of civilization has ever arisen without the shepherding of pastoral animals and the use of their milk as food. The earliest human artifacts include vessels containing traces of milk residue. The ancient Egyptians and Hindus considered the bovine species to be sacred, elevating the cow to goddess status. The constellation Taurus, depicted as a bull, is home to the Pleiades and is noted by many cultures around the world as the origin of the human species. Hippocrates, Galen and other ancient physicians used raw milk in the treatment of disease. As late as the 20th century, modern physicians prescribed the raw milk cure to their patients for treatment of most diseases. During the 1920’s, Dr. J.E. Crewe of the Mayo Foundation used an exclusive diet of raw milk to cure Tuberculosis, high blood pressure, prostate disease, diabetes, kidney disease, chronic fatigue and obesity. Raw milk therapy is still successfully used today in German hospitals. There have even been reports of people living for decades on nothing but raw milk. How is it that a food that could sustain our ancestors around the world for thousands of years is now presenting health problems for modern man? Before the beginning of the practice of pasteurization in the late 1800’s, milk [...]

As we embark upon the winter season, thoughts turn to health.  Traditionally known as the "cold and flu season", the government and mainstream media are doing their best to convince us that we are in for a terrible pandemic.  They tell us that not only will we have to deal with the common cold and typical strains of flu, but we are also facing a serious pandemic of avian flu (bird flu) which could be just as deadly as the Spanish Flu of 1918, also an avian strain, which killed up to 50 million people.  The U.S. government is mobilizing to prepare the nation for this devastating event and recommending that citizens line up for their flu shots which may be their only protection. Critics of the pandemic scare have a lot to say about this issue.  One interesting perspective is that influenza is simply a viral infection that has a relatively short lifespan causing symptoms such as chills, fever, aches, sore throat, cough, and headaches that leave a person pretty miserable for awhile, but it does not kill.  What kills are the secondary infections that take hold while the person is in a state of lowered immunity if they don't take care of themselves.  Most often these secondary infections are pneumonia and a variety of gastrointestinal problems including diarrhea caused by pathogenic bacteria, other viruses, fungi or parasites.  In severe cases dehydration can result which can be fatal. Can the flu shot truly protect us as conventional medical doctors would have us believe?  The fact is, not only does the flu shot not protect us from the flu, but it can cause complications that compromise our immune systems for years to come and possibly [...]

So many people today have lifestyles that are physically, mentally and emotionally demanding.  Incredibly busy schedules, too little sleep, financial worries, overwork, relationship challenges, compromised health and a toxic environment can take their toll on well being.   The pace of life has become so stressful, that millions of people across the globe are now experiencing a little known but very common condition called adrenal fatigue.  It is estimated that up to 80% of American adults suffer from adrenal fatigue at some time in their lives and many children do too.  Yet it is one of the most under-diagnosed health challenges in the world. The adrenal glands are called the “stress glands” due to the critical role they play in helping the body handle the demands of emotional and physical stress.  The two pyramid shaped walnut sized adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys and secrete over 50 hormones that direct the body’s response to numerous internal and external stimuli.   The adrenal medulla portion of the gland secretes adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norephinephrine) in response to crises. When danger is perceived, these hormones stimulate the rate and strength of heart contractions and dilate the bronchi and blood vessels, increasing blood flow to the muscles for the “fight or flight response.  The medulla works in tandem with the adrenal cortex which secretes many more hormones including the stimulant/stress hormone cortisol, anti-aging hormone DHEA and the sex and steroid hormones estrogen, testosterone, pregnenalone, progesterone, and aldosterone. The adrenals significantly influence the function of every organ, tissue and gland in the body and affect the way we think and feel.  They play a major role in the utilization and conversion of carbohydrates, fats and proteins into energy. They [...]

Fall is the season of the harvest, when we gather nature’s bounty in preparation for winter.  After the autumn equinox the days become shorter, and the darker, cooler yin season encourages us to slow down and conserve our vital energy for the coming months.  It is a time to go within, complete projects, and open up to our inner wisdom through meditation, reading and writing. In Chinese medicine, Fall is the time of the metal element, similar to air with emphasis on the mind and breath.  The lungs and colon are spotlighted during this time, serving to take in vital energy and release what is not needed.  On an emotional level pent up grief stored in the lungs will seek to release now, and built up negative thoughts and feelings signal the eliminative system to begin the process of letting go. Imbalances in the metal element can manifest as excess mucus, allergies, coughs, bronchitis, sinus and ear infections, asthma, skin problems, headaches, fatigue, gas, constipation, diarrhea and colitis.  As the body slows down, any excess toxins that have accumulated in the system over the more active summer months will now attempt to make their way out through the eliminative channels of the colon, kidneys, lungs and skin. Allergies, colds, fevers and flu are nature’s way of getting rid of toxic wastes that usually originate in the digestive tract.  Refined, processed, protein-rich foods such as pasteurized dairy products, fatty meats, white flour, sugar, salt and hydrogenated oils can be difficult to digest, and often stick to the lining of the colon, creating an acidic anaerobic environment that is perfect for harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites to thrive.  (Remember the relief maps we made in school from [...]