Food as an Herb

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

Student Excerpts: Nourish the Brain

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

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."

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.

Student Excerpts: Intuition by Avicenna

The following passage came from the homework of student, Ann Neadermann in Norway. I thought it was a wonderful description of Avicenna's views and intuition in general:

Ann Neaderman
Unit Four
Medicine of Avicenna

11. How does Avicenna define intuition? Do you think he believes in using it in healing a patient?

It receives the essences of universal things in so far as they are universal. The perfection of this power is to become an intellect in act. The first way is called reasoning, while the second is called intuition. Yet intuition can be very powerful or weak or mediocre.If the speculative intellect reaches this perfection by having present the first and derived intelligible principles, and these are there actually and in full view without being absent, then the derived principles are related to the first as "light upon light"; this is the acquired intellect, because it derives from both kinds of principles. The soul has mastery of intelligible principles and is able to recall them whenever it wants without effort or assistance, that power is called the intellect in act, and this is the "lamp" that it makes use of whenever it wants. You must know the difference between reasoning and intuition.

Consulting Client Tips

As I was correcting student assignments today I came across another gem that reminded me of something important that we all need to remember as healers - know how to access a situation and your own ability in that situation. This is an excerpt from the student exam and my response:

Exam Question: Name the three parts to natural first aid and why each is important. Give personal examples when you have them.

Student Answer:

#1 Assistance - It is important to know how to help a person in an emergency. You need to access how serious it is. If it is minor and not life threatening, it can be treated at home with herbal remedies and natural health practices. If it is life threatening such as a heart attack or a fractured skull it is important to call an ambulance and get the person to a hospital immediately. On the way to the hospital techniques like proper breathing, reflexology, etc. can be used. When my daughter broke her arm, I placed an ice pack on it to relieve swelling and pain and immediately drove her to the hospital.

This is a very good point to remember. As a healer we need to know how to properly assess any situation - even if it is not an emergency. We need to know what our own abilities are and when it is time to refer someone to another practitioner for assistance.

Student Excerpts: The 13th Principal of Health

This statement is from a student paper I corrected today on "The 13th Principal of Health" from Unit One: Nutritional Healing. I wanted to share this here as this is something we often forget to look at when we are consulting with ourselves, our families and our clients. Remember - always check the basics before you go beyond that and look for health problems you or another person may have. Often, being deprived of the basics (the right food, water, sleep, etc...) can mimic many health problems and diseases:

Quote from JH, Student in the NHCO: To understand the critical nature of sleep to our children's growth and development, we need to understand more about what sleep does, what healthy sleep is, and what happens when children do not get the right amount of sleep, the best quality sleep, or both. We also need to understand the role sleep plays in being alert or drowsy, stressed or relaxed, and how that in turn may affect temperament, learning, and social behavior.

www.TheAvicennaInstitute.com

Student Excerpts: Cinnamon Oil Reminder

A good reminder from a student's assignment:

"I have made a Cinnamon leaf oil to rub into my clients aching joints. I have picked this for its ability to act as a warm wrap, soften cold, and painful joints. Caution: Always make sure it is leaf oil as cinnamon bark will irritate the skin."

Student Excerpts: Hawthorne Berry Tea

I enjoyed this analysis by student Aimee found in her assignment "Herbs for Women". She says,

"I think that Hawthorne should be one of the top herbs for women as it has always been very successful for me. It improves circulation, helps heart palpatations, is tonic for mood swings or panic attacks. It helps in mild forms of angina and blood pressure. I have used it to calm me down in my more anxious moments. I pick hawthorne berries into a jar until it is full, then I add a regular mickey of vodka, let it sit for 2 months drain and bottle. I use 10-15 drops as I need it. Or more commonly I drink a hawthorne tea made from the flowers."

Student Excerpts: The Thirteenth Principal of Health

Aimee turned in her Nutritional healing assignments this week and was the first one (in all these years, believe it or not!) to choose "Creating a Healing Living Space" as her topic for the "Thirteenth Principal of Health". I thought her opening quote and a key paragraph in her paper were wonderful and wanted to share them with you all:

She writes:

Siegfried Gursche, in the Encyclopedia of Natural Healing, quotes: “According to the Environmental Protection Agency, fifty percent of all our illness can be traced to indoor pollution, which is ten times more toxic than its outdoor counterpart.”

Our dishes, pipes, microwaves, pewter, ceramic glazes, blinds, tap water, and insecticides also contribute to our indoor toxicity. Nickle is in our dishes, cosmetics, hydrogenated food, fats, and dental work. Lead can come from batteries, tap water, smoking, glassware, liver, and even in some wine. Cadmium is found in batteries, smoking tap water, fertilizer, and shellfish. Arsenic in laundry soap, fabric softener, poisons paints and even in some mirrors. Aluminum which is linked with Alzheimer's is in our cooking wrap, deodorants, cosmetics, paints, and baking powder. Mercury was a popular dental filling which is no longer used in Canada. It also turns up in fish, salt, cosmetics, hair dyes, and pesticides. All heavy metals can have a horrible effect on the body. The are know to create rashes, constipation, headaches, bloating, diarrhea, block the production of bile, increase of decrease hormone levels, and affect our digestive systems.

Student Excerpts: Great Chart from Jennifer!

I wanted to share part of Jennifer's assignment this week. The chart she made for her reflexology assignment was organized and impressive. This is what she did

Student Excerpts: Affordability and Variety in Healing

This excerpt and my comments are taken from Janet's assignment on aromatherapy. Great job Janet!

Aromatherapy

I want to start off by saying I choose a lot of my oils not only for the properties but also for the affordability.

This is brilliant! I always do this too. First, I ask what people already have in their home, then I think of things that they can use from their kitchen or common items, then I start with the most affordable oils and herbs. Another benefit of this is that the most affordable ones are usually also the most abundant ones. Some of the more expensive oils and herbs are expensive because they are harder to find and some have become over-harvested to near-extinction.

I have learned if you can make things affordable, yet effective to people they are more likely to use it and stay with it. A lot of people just do not have the money now days. If I can make them an effective affordable oil treatment it works for both of us. I have to purchase these to have on hand and also sell them to the consumer, so that is why you might see some similar treatments in some areas. I know they work and they are the more attainable and affordable of the oils. Hope that makes sense and you understand what I mean. Then on top of that a lot of the basics cover so much and are so well rounded it would be silly not to use them if they work regardless of the repetitive nature J Also I have a wonderful flu oil that I burn, when someone is getting a cold or during the winter months. It is Eucalyptus/Tea Tree and just a little bit of cinnamon mainly for the scent…….it is a really great aroma and seems to work well and makes the house smell nice.

I completely agree. I once wrote an article on how you can heal everything with just three herbs (or oils). If each person would pick a variety of three and really get to know those three they would be amazed at what they could do with just three oils or herbs.

Student Excerpts: Iridology

One of the questions on the iridology quiz is "Compare iridology to something else and describe it in your own words"

Janet provided a wonderful comparison:

"Iridology could be compared to an inspector inspecting a house for structural damage or potential hazards. "

Student Excerpts: Herbs & Signatures

Kimberly did some outside research and had some lovely additions to her assignment last week. Here are some of my favorite excerpts from her assignment. Remember - the more you share with the group the more we can learn from each other:


Signatures can include an herb that resembles a specific organ, for instance, Scrophularia roots look like swollen glands, so it is traditionally used for swollen glands and hemorrhoids. (Matthew Wood, The Book of Herbal Wisdom: Using Plants as Medicines).

Signatures can be suggested through the environment. For instance, Angelica grows in a damp, shady soil, and can help remove cold and damp from the patient.

Signatures can be suggested by the animals that the plant resembles. Wood suggests that Native Americans used this “spirit signature”; an example is Angelica which has a brown, furry resinous root and is called Bear Medicine.

Signatures can be suggested by plants that correspond to the symptoms. For instance, for respiratory and digestive remedies, plants that have hairy leaves that resemble the villa of the mucosa can be used. These include, Comfrey and Mullein.

Signatures can be suggested by their rhythms. For instance, Blood Root, which has flowers that unfold from morning to noon and then close again is used for migraines worse from morning to noon.

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The relationships of the constellations and planets has been seen to influence seeding experiments, as well as, the formation of certain plant organs. In Planetary Influences Upon Plants, by Ernst Michael Kranich, it says that “as early as the 1940’s J. Schultz discovered a correlation between the seed and fruit formation of trees and Jupiter’s twelve-year cycle. For red beech, the years of high seed yields coincided with specific constellations of Jupiter against the zodiac.

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Additionally, signatures can suggest which element has the most influence over a specific plant. In Healing Plants: Insights Through Spiritual Science, by Wilhelm Pelikan, he suggests that the influence of the Air Element in the Umbellifers is suggested by the airy quality of their leaves. Pelikan says, “…the way the carrot family relates to the air. These plants not only reach out into the atmosphere in leaf and flower development but also begin to incorporate air into themselves. They enclose air in their blown-up, bellying leaf sheaths, in hollow stems, stalks, fruits, and air chambers in the rhizomes. In doing so, they go beyond plant and towards animal nature.” Pelikan goes on to suggest that this reaching towards the animal nature makes them good candidates for treating patients with an ‘astral body’ condition.

Thank you Kimberly for a job well done and for making your assignment so enjoyable to read!

Blessings & Health,
Kristie

Student Excerpts: Healing Gargle

Assignment: Try out one of the remedies below and track the results over days or over hours. If the situation is emergency (like a burn or small asthma attack) then track the results and show improvement (or not) over the span of 6 hours. If the situation is acute only (like a bruise) then track the results over a week.

Student Answer: The remedy I tried was gargling with salt water for a sore throat. It seemed to soothe my throat right away and the results lasted a couple of hours. I then repeated the gargling every couple of hours when my throat started hurting again, and the next morning, my throat was not sore at all! It seemed to work better if the water was as warm as I could tolerate it.

Teacher Response: You have discovered the secret! I dislike gargling but this remedy is so effective I can’t not do it. I have tried so many remedies for sore throat and this is the only one that REALLY works!

STUDENT NOTES: Information Overload

From an assignment by student, Marcie Keuneke:

This is the information age and we are surrounded with more
Information than we can assimilate. An article in the Watchtower
Stated that "a usual weekday edition of The New York Times contains
More information than the average person would have come across in
His entire lifetime back in 17th-century England."

She goes on to state how this information overload affects our health. I was, however, impressed by the quote. I always knew we were in information overload, but I never considered HOW much before!