Correction to Iridology Unit

Dear Students,

Thank you to student Michelle who pointed out that the Australian iris chart on page 37 is labeled incorrectly. It is the LEFT iris, and NOT the right one that is shown on the chart. I have made a note about this on the iridology page of the website.

Keep in mind - if you find any broken links or problems with any assignments or chapters please check this BLOG (look at the INDEX on the right hand side) and check the FAQs on the website for quick answers. For example, I am always updating the herbal healing links online as these change from time to time so they are not correct in the e-book.

Blessings & Health,
Kristie

Extra Information: Homeopathy

Now can be found at the new student blog here: http://earthschooling.info/thebearthinstitute/students-blog/

Student Assignments: The 13th Principle of Health: Rest

I don't usually post entire assignments. However, I wanted to share this assignment from Nancy in Canada. It is a good example of a concise assignment that is not long, but contains all the elements needed for a good assignment. She has a good topic statement and spends the rest of the assignment supporting her statement with quotes and references. Very well done!

I believe the thirteenth principal of health should be rest and relaxation. When someone doesn’t get enough rest and relaxation the other principals won’t really achieve all that they could for a person’s health. For instance, having high blood pressure from being stressed can never really be helped through use of the other twelve principals without learning to relax and getting the correct amount of sleep. In “Prescription for Nutritional Healing” it is stated that “the body does not absorb ingested nutrients well when under stress. The result is that, especially with prolonged or recurrent stress, the body becomes at once deficient in many nutrients and is unable to replace them adequately.”

Studies have shown that not getting the appropriate amount of sleep can make it hard for the brain to function to its full capacity. This having been said, it then follows, any knowledge obtained would not be fully utilized. In the Traditional Healers Handbook it says that sleep “strengthens all natural functions.

On the Medical News Today website in an article entitled Sleep Deprivation Fosters Inactivity, “According to Herbert, sleep is key in regulating the body's processes, including appetite and metabolism. Lack of sleep can throw these processes off balance, and may lead to overeating, and in turn, gradual weight gain over time." This then would lead us to believe that sleep or rest is essential for proper nutrition to be at all possible.

We all know as a fact that negative stress leaves one feeling pessimistic and depressed. Relaxation can alleviate stress, rejuvenate a person’s outlook on life, and restore their vitality as well. A positive outlook can then foster faith and knowledge due to a desire to make strides towards maintaining that feeling.

In conclusion, I feel safe to say that, rest and relaxation helps to increase the positive results from following the twelve principals of health and should be included with them.

Student Excerpts: Vitamins, the Sun and Hormones

The following is an excerpt from an assignment by Student Vanessa Nixon Klein. She makes a good point that some vitamins are more than just "vitamins". In this case they act as hormones as well. This is true in the case of many vitamins - and in many cases we have only just begun to scratch the surface of what a vitamin is and how it works.

>William B. Grant, PhD is one of the top vitamin D researcher in the world. In a 2004 interview with Dr. Joseph Mercola, he explains the role of Vitamin D in our bodies in the following manner, “ When produced in the skin or ingested, it is a "vitamin" or "prehormone"and essential for life. Just as cholesterol is metabolized into testosterone, precholesterol is turned into cholecalciferol (vitaminD), which is metabolized into what now is looking more and more like a hormone [25(OH)D]. In turn, this is metabolized in the kidneys or other organs into an even more potent hormone [1,25(OH)2D].

Vitamin D is an essential part of the endocrine system as it controls several of the adrenal hormones, growth of cells, production of enzymes and has other direct genomic functions. The key difference in definition is that hormones have DNA receptor sites, and vitamin A is in that family as well as vitamin D, and vitamins are parts of coenzyme systems (not genomic). In a way, vitamins A and D are both vitamins and hormones."

Question about Iridology in Children

Question: Can iridology be used on children? And are there any adjustments that need to be made? - MJ

Dear MJ,

Most definitely! It can be used in children the same as adults. The only adjustments that I make are:

1. I usually talk to the child or do something to distract them while I am looking at their iris. I instruct them to look right at my nose. With an adult I am usually more quiet.

2. I only look at each iris for about 10 seconds at a time. If I can I take a photo of the iris and then look after I take the photo. They usually won't stay still for the entire session so the photo helps.

That is all!

Blessings & Health,
Kristie

Temperament Typing Tip: More Insight Into the Phlegmatic

A lot of people get "hung up" by the fact that the "typical" phelgmatic is often described as fleshy, ample or even overweight. To set the record straight and help with typing:

I find that not all phlegmatics are big and fleshy. It depends on their environment as to whether that trait comes out or not. However, I have not often met a stick thin skinny phlegmatic – however, I have known many “normal” weight ones. I think being phlegmatic is also not so much about the weight itself being there all the time as to how and where your body gains weight. Usually in the phlegmatic the body gains weight in the abdominal area or “rear” area first and tends to be fleshy and soft when gaining weight instead of “heavy and muscular” or “heavyset and large” or “big boned”.

Student Excerpts: Panic Attacks

This is an excerpt from a student exam this week. The point she made about practicing these techniques before-hand is a very important point. It makes the difference between this method being effective and ineffective. It is often these "small details" (like how, when or how much to take of an herb or where to buy it) that can make the difference in natural healing. Be sure not to miss the small details. If you do, you or a client or friend or family member may be led to believe that natural healing does not work!

Excerpt:

3. Name two ways you can stop a panic attack

Do deep breathing. Deep diaphragmatic breathing and can be used during times when you are feeling anxious or panicky. It is a powerful way to control hyperventilation, slow a rapid heartbeat and promote physical comfort. For this reason we will call it the Calming Breath.

Here's how it goes: Take a long, slow breath in through your nose, first filling your lower lungs, then your upper lungs. Hold your breath to the count of "three." Exhale slowly through pursed lips, while you relax the muscles in your face, jaw,shoulders, and stomach. Practice this Calming Breath at least ten times a day for several weeks. Use it during times of transition, between projects or whenever you want to let go of tension and begin to experience a sense of calmness. This will help you become familiar and comfortable with the process. And use it any time you begin to feel anxiety or panic building. When you need a tool to help you calm down during panic, you will be more familiar and comfortable with the process.