Success on the Healing Path: A Lesson From My Dog

Today I took my dog, Emmett, for a stroll around the West End. Our routine is to head out after his breakfast around mid-morning for a walk around the neighborhood. Usually he is easy on the leash. Maybe he pulls a little or jumps to meet a dog, but he understands when he is corrected. Today he was just awful. Pulling constantly and not paying any attention to the commands and cues I was giving him. When we returned home I didn't give him his usual treat after the walk.

About an hour later I decided he needed another chance. I knew that after getting his need to walk and sniff satisfied from the previous walk, that he would definitely be better behaved if I took him for another walk. So, I just took him for a very short stroll around the block. He needed to experience success in order to know he could reach my expectations for a walk that day. We needed to walk again so he could achieve the goal of a good walk. And, he was wonderful. I praised him as we walked and when we returned home I gave him a treat. He could enjoy a sense of accomplishment.

It occurred to me that this is much like many of our experiences on our own individual healing paths. We have a bad day and it seems as though we do nothing right: we skip exercising, we don't eat right, we forget to take our herbs, we just don't take care of ourselves. We just don't “heel” to our health plans. It can be so easy to get down on yourself when this happens. To feel as though you have failed. But there will be another walk. You can get back on track. The next day, or even the next hour is fresh and new and ripe for success! When you have a bad moment or day when you are off track, do something simple that will put you back on the right path. Just go around the block, rather than around the whole neighborhood. Eat an apple, or brew some dandelion tea, or do a breathing exercise, or strike a yoga pose. Set yourself up for success and recognize your victory, no matter how small it is. And determine a way to treat yourself after being successful. Perhaps a nice hot bath, a Saturday night movie, an extra hour in bed with a book, a glass of wine with your friends, etc. Do something to recognize your good work.

It's easy to think that your healing path is made up of exercising, meditation, healthy eating, healing herbs, energy work, etc. And that is definitely a huge part of the path. But, there is also attitude. Being accepting, understanding, and gentle towards yourself as you shift your life. On the walk when Emmett was not behaving well, I didn't tell him “No, bad dog” because it wouldn't have been helpful. He just would have felt bad, but without a clear idea of the way he needed to behave. Instead, giving him a small, but fresh start and praising him for something I knew he'd be successful at made much more sense. Your attitude and view of yourself on your healing path is just as much a part of your healing as anything else. If one day you falter, give yourself another chance. Walk your healing path with compassion for yourself. And don't forget to give yourself a treat!

Fighting Colds and Flu!

Last week I talked about good ways to nourish and build the immune system. This might reduce illness, but there is still a likely chance that you will get sick at some point this cold and flu season. So, here are some of my favorite herbs that will help you become healthy again quickly!

When I feel sickness coming on, the first thing I do is prepare a tincture with a formula of several herbs in a ½ ounce sized dropper bottle so that I can easily have it in my pocket at all times. I will take this formula up to once every 20 minutes and at least 3 times a day. I will take the formula from when I feel my illness coming on until I feel I am well over the sickness. My colds tend to have lots of congestion and post nasal drip which causes lots of sinus pressure and throat discomfort. So, I use a lot of herbs that will help reduce congestion.

Osha is one of my favorites against upper respiratory/sinus congestion, sore throat, and coughing. It is anti-microbial and stimulates the immune system. This herb is in nearly every formula I make against colds. It is also a warming herb which is perfect for those fall and winter colds.

Plantain is a great herb for drawing out congestion while soothing any irritation in the throat or upper respiratory tract. This is a great herb for thickly congested sinuses.

Sage is a great herb that helps with throat pain and is strongly anti-microbial. In general I look at this herb as a powerful harbinger wellness and health on many levels.

Mullein is one of my top favorite herbs. It helps move mucus and heal the lungs. This is a very gentle yet powerful herb suitable for when you are congested and also for when you have a deep cough that is really affecting the lungs.

Elecampane is wonderful for balancing mucus in the upper respiratory system. If you are dry and experiencing irritation or if you are super congested, elecampane will help balance your system to health.

I often add a very small amount of thyme to my tincture formulas because it is a very powerful anti-microbial. It's the herb I use to kill whatever microbes might be causing an illness.

I often add something a little soothing, such as anise, chamomile, or licorice to soothe an irritated throat.

When I feel illness coming on I also begin taking a tincture of echinacea. I take it separately from the other formula because I will take echinacea for three days in a row, and then I take a day off. This is a good practice because echinacea is a very powerful immune system stimulant. I want to stimulate my immune system enough to fight disease, but I don't want to over work it to the point that it tires out and becomes stressed. I take echinacea very frequently when sick, taking a dropperful up to every 20 minutes. I will also put echinacea in a ½ ounce dropper bottle to ensure I can always have it with me.

And, of course I take many of these herbs as hot teas. Nothing beats a wonderful cup of healing tea when sick. The tinctures are wonderful because it is easy to take the herbs frequently even while at work or going about your day. However, when you are getting sick what your body might be telling you is that you need to take time out, lay in bed, and take the time to make a nice cup of tea.

When I have difficulty sleeping due to congestion, I will take a tissue and add a few drops of some combination of eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary, balsam fir, clove, and lemongrass to the tissue. I will place the tissue on or near my pillow so I can enjoy the wonderful mucus clearing effects of those herbs while sleeping.

When you have a flu then it is important to add some good herbs to deal with fever and body aches. Boneset is a wonderful herb that helps reduce fever and body aches. Definitely a favorite of mine. I would also recommend the combination of peppermint, yarrow, and elder flower. This is a very traditional herbal blend that is very effective against the flu. Last year I had a bad case of the flu and I prepared a bath with these herbs by placing them in a muslin drawstring bag. My fever broke within two hours of the bath! It was amazing how effective it was!

Finally, I always take doses of elderberry cordial when a cold or flu is setting in. Elderberry stimulates the immune system and is very anti-microbial. Also it is very tasty medicine! You can take elderberry as a tea or tincture, but I always prepare a cordial with a healthy dose of honey and brandy! Very yummy and very healing.

There are so many other herbs to take for colds and flus, but I have given you some of my favorites. May these herbs help nurse you back to total health!

I often feel that the experience of our bodies and the imbalances and or health issues we may experience are in fact messages to ourselves, our physical selves speaking to our spirit self. Getting a cold or flu is often a way of our physical body telling us we have taken on too much, we are in need of some self love and care. Everything else can go on hold. Perhaps we can view sick time as a time to practice self care. See if you can continue that practice even as you are well again.

Nourishing a Balanced Immune System

That lovely chill is in the air! Autumn is officially here. I have bust out the fingerless gloves, started putting away t-shirts, and am pulling out flannel plaid button-ups. I just love this season. It is also the time to start pulling some of those immunity-building herbs from the shelf and start brewing some teas!

We tend to think that people that work with other germ-sharers in close quarters are the ones that should really get their immune systems up and running. Pre-school teachers, cashiers, etc. But people that work in indoor environments where fresh air is limited should also be sure to get those immune systems strong! Office workers need to get their tea on just as much as the rest of us.

There are those of you out there who might think you don't need to build your immune system because you just never get sick. While this may seem healthy at first glance, it is actually a vital function of a good immune system to get rid of toxins from our bodies via a runny nose, fever, or some sort of symptom of sickness. If you never get sick it means you are never fully ridding your body of toxins. Nourishing your immune system will help it work more effectively at flushing your system of pathogens and toxins.

Nourishing your immune system is about balancing your system so it will effectively rid your body of any pathogens or toxins but not be too sensitive to everything it encounters. You can take immune building throughout cold and flu season.

There are a few herbs that are great at nourishing the immune system without overstimulating it. Astragalus root is one of the best herbs for building the immune system. It is super effective at building up a strong and balanced immune system. You can take this herb everyday as a tincture, tea, or capsule. However, this is not an herb to take when you have a fever since it will make it difficult for your body to naturally try to lower your fever. I often throw astragalus into soup broths and add it into rice or quinoa as I cook it. I tend not to eat the root after it is cooked, but I know of people that do. It has a pleasant, slightly sweet taste.

All of the adaptogen herbs also help build immunity. Eleuthero, tulsi, schisandra, ginseng, and ashwagandha are all great at gently nourishing the immune system. The medicinal mushrooms are also great immune system builders: reishi, maitake, shiitake. All are wonderful herbs to take as a tincture, tea, or capsule. The medicinal mushrooms make wonderful soup broth. Add shiitake or maitake to your dishes and you have a savory, tasty, and healing dinner!

Healing Soup Broth:

Throughout the summer I tend to freeze the scraps of veggies I don't use in gallon freezer bags. Carrot greens, kale stalks, garlic and onion peels all go into the freezer. When I am ready for soup season, I take a bunch of these veggie scraps and put them in a soup pot along with a spoonful of astragalus root, a few slices of reishi and maitake mushrooms, a few garlic cloves, burdock root, and a little ginger root. I add a piece of kelp for extra mineral and vitamin richness and for some thyrid support. It is also a nice substitute for lots of salt. For some extra nourishment I might add some organic meat bones to the mix. I simmer all of this on the stove for about an hour. I then strain out the veggies and herbs and have a wonderful, tasty, and nourishing broth ready to make all kinds of awesome soups! For some extra healing and scrumptiousness, when you have finished cooking the soup and are about to serve it, add a spoonful of miso paste per bowl of soup. Slurp to your health!