Sunday, June 24, 2012

Cleansing Herbal Teas

I found that the following website had some good thought about how to do a cleanse:

http://www.amazing-green-tea.com/cleansing-tea.html

There are two charts on the site, one showing organs and symptoms and the other showing which herbs you might take.  The site seems to require about medium skill with herbs in the sense that it is good information to fine tune your own herbal combinations.

I have been discovering in personal experience how to use Cayenne Pepper powder.  It is a very powerful cleansing and stimulating herb.  There are definitely contraindications to consider in its use and considerations about timing in its use (whether on an empty stomach or with a meal).

I am valuing its aggressive way of breaking up mucoidal strands from left over dairy in the system.  Although I have been Vegan for about 28 years now, I found some cheese slipped in at a restaurant, and was enough to produce mild asthmatic symptoms.  I also got a flu bug and my allergies aggravated, even though I had felt 99 percent free of them for over a decade.  It seems that aggressive herbs are necessary to really push out casein (Elmer's Glue) from the system.  I am using this healing challenge as an excuse to do a deeper purge of my system.

I have been looking for synergistic herbs to help this process and as well as using a squirt bottle to do a kind of nose gargle (like a neti pot, but a little more aggressive, I squirt tepid water with baking soda and salt while blowing through the nose OUTWARDS).  I also found a kind of homemade nasal spray that it about 4 cups of pure water with one drop of peppermint, thyme, tea tree oil, and lavender), done a little bit in time before the nasal gargle.

I found that sprinkling cayenne powder on hot air popped organic popcorn (with olive oil, Himalayan salt, nutritional yeast, and dried dill weed lightly sprinkled on it too).  It seems that the cayenne creates a small cayenne mist that goes into the nose and makes me snort out a lot of phlegm.  It is getting milder in reaction now, and only stings a little.  I am feeling a lot cleaner inside.

Again, as a note, I am not endorsing others doing this, just recording my own process and what is working for me.  I am experimenting and it seems that there are not adverse side effects.  It is still an intense cleanse and it may not be for everyone and some may need to modify the process in some way to adapt it to their needs (or try something else).  I figure, though, that if we all share our experience that it will help us evolve our herbal knowledge.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Smoking Cessation

I wanted to share some notes on "smoking cessation" or "quitting smoking".  Tobacco smoking, with nicotine and even arsenic within its ingredients, is an especially toxic and addictive brew.  It seems to help carcinogens develop into full blown cancer.  It may have been at the root of one friend recently dying and seems to have been the main catalyst for another friend to have a cancer flare up.

Because I have not been a tobacco smoker, some of the notes expressed below have had only partial validation in personal experience.  I have been able to use process oriented hypnotherapy to help one person successful and nonreversibly end tobacco smoking, without any strong withdrawal symptoms, by going into the underlying anger issues and clearing them.  Anger energy, when transmuted through meditation, becomes self empowerment, clear relationship boundaries, and creative evolutionary purpose.  The person in question did send me an email after 3 months to say that she was still not smoking and still doing well.  The guided meditation took only 15 minutes to do, after some basic induction and breathing meditation (one hour total).

Before she did the meditation, she followed a few suggestions for one month, before this:

(1) Switch from regular commercial tobacco cigarettes to Native American cigarettes.  The former has ingredients added to make it more addictive, like arsenic.  It seems that these extra ingredients are easily weaned off of, if eliminated first by switching to a more benign cigarette.

(2) If you smoke a cig, then you must only smoke.  This means not to smoke and talk, smoke and watch TV, smoke and do anything else.  You smoke only when you are able to concentrate attention on the process.

(3) Only only smoke to satisfy a craving and then only smoke enough to satisfy the craving.  If you are attentive, you will become sensitive to when it is just the urging of habit or when it is a strong craving propelling you to smoke.  You check in to make sure, even try to resist a little to make sure it is a strong enough craving.  Then you take each inhale of smoke slowly and with no hurry, then exhale slowly with no hurry, feeling how you feel after each inhale/exhale.  When you notice that the craving has been satisfied, then you stop smoking any more at that time.  It usually only takes a few inhales of the smoke to do this.

Following these 3 suggestions has allowed people to drop down from 1 or 2 packs a day down to 5 cigs a day (in about 3 weeks).  It seems to give the body a chance to metabolically adapt to less and less nicotine running through its system.  It seems, too, that anger starts coming up when it is down to just 5 cigs.  It seems that those around the smoker will notice this before the smoker does.  The hypnotherapy helps process the anger that surfaces.  If the underlying anger is released, much of the addictive drive will end with this.  Emotional repression is part of the addictive drive.  It is the hidden benefit that keeps the addiction in place.  When the emotions are dealt with, the force of the addiction is much more manageable.  Tobacco smoking represses the anger very well, so that the person can become oblivious to the anger that he or she carries inside.  It will show up in the judgmental thoughts that are expressed, often in front of the TV while the news broadcasts are happening, towards favorite targets like Liberals or Republicans, Feminists or Evangelicals, Greedy Corporations or Communists/Fascists, etc.  Process oriented hypnosis is about looking at all this judgment without judgment, seeing what it means, and seeing if a new relationship can be found.  All without one suggestion to actually end smoking being implanted.  The antidote is the "mirror like wisdom" which is the mirror of karma, how everything is unfolding perfectly and how everything is reflecting back our own judgmental thoughts.

The reason why I am putting these notes into my herbal blog is because I have intuited that there is some further support from Lobelia.  I found that a few sites gave a caution about using it in large doses.  But I found that the large doses that seemed to have the largest and strongest precaution are when Lobelia is prepared as an extract and taken as capsules (Lobelia Sulfate).  I would not recommend capsule use in this case.  It seems that a tincture or infusion is very safe, and that low dosage is adequate to get the benefits.  If some nausea feeling arises to reduce the dosage until it is not felt.  Only increase the dosage in stages so that you can feel each level.  Though part of my idea in energetic herbalism is that you do not usually have to push a dosage high enough to cause nausea.  I would take this as a natural signal of the body that we are going too far.  Some herbalists did push a higher dose and had the vomiting be part of the therapy.  Understandable, when you make something that intense,  precautions become more necessary and you have to know what you are doing.  Several sites warned against use while pregnant.  This is obvious when nausea level doses are used.  The warning may or may not apply to low and usually safe doses.  A lot of companies repeat these warnings to cover themselves legally.  I could not find any testing or reasoning to support this, but pass it along.  It is probably wise to play it safe here.  I need to also state by caveat that you do need to know what you are doing with herbs, to respect your own biochemical individuality, and to seek the guidance of a health professional.  If you choose to take responsibility for your own health process, then it is important to double check any process shared in any blog, book, and discussion with your own wisdom, prudence, and experience.

I have been using a Lobelia tincture to help relieve some asthmatic symptoms that have resulted from a recent allergy and/or flu.  It has been helpful and feels very safe.  I have also found that cayenne, in very small doses, also helps to break up mucus and allows me to cough up more phlegm.  I have also been nose washing with a regular very clean squirt bottle (rather than a neti pot).  I mix a little bit of baking soda and salt into the tepid warm water.  I then squirt it up my nose while exhaling through the nose forcefully.  It is kind of like gargling in the nose.  It feels a little gentler than the neti pot process for me and seems to do something similar.  I am still experimenting with cayenne as far how to take it in.  The best so far seems to be to sprinkle it on some hot air popped organic popcorn (with some Himalayan salt, olive oil, nutritional yeast, and dried dill weed powder).  I going to experiment with a small amount in a tea and see how this compares.

My intuition is that there are supportive herbs like Marshmallow Root, Red Root, Echinicea, Eucalyptus, Anise, Licorice, Fennel, and Slippery Elm, and probably many others, to help the process be gentle, effective, and smoothing.  I have not experimented enough in this direction yet, but hope to post some notes on how different combinations feel for me.

As a cautionary note, when one is quitting a very long term and toxic habit like cigarette smoking, the toxic build up can be a lot.  It might be good to keep following through with a liver flush and some gentle detox teas.  One friend who successfully quit had black tar like stuff ooze out of his skin while taking hot showers and that noticeably showed up on his towels.  Because of how much toxic build up might there, you might get some strong detox reactions as your body adjusts.

There seems to be a way of combining lobelia and mullein as something to smoke as a substitute for tobacco and which seems to help heal the lungs.  But this is a use that I have not experimented with for the reason mentioned above.  If someone has use it this method, I invite the person post something in this blog about it (as scientifically and personal experience based as possible, like how many cigs a day was the habit, what were the side effects if any, what dose for how much days, and how the experience felt, how well did it help the craving to go away or not, etc.).

I would recommend a person also get off dairy products and at least cut down on eating cooked animal muscle tissue (meat).  It is actually easier to reduce both at the same time, rather than each separately, because dairy and animal flesh neutralize some aspects of each other.  If possible, go vegan, but give yourself permission to follow your cravings with awareness (parallel to the suggested rules for cutting down cravings for tobacco), trusting that your body is adjusting in stages to a cleaner internal condition.

You will probably gain some weight from not smoking.  This weight gain is not what many people usually think it is.  It is from your body rehydrating, getting the water it needs.  Cigs dehydrate and it is part of the overall toxic effect.  We need more water than we are usually getting.  If we are getting enough water, our urine is usually very light yellow or clear in color.

What I have learned as a healer is that the more intense the process a person is going through, the gentler the support.  Gentle can be very effective, even more effective, than being intense with our process.  When I am unclear about what to do with support like bodywork or herbs, then I use subtle energy work.  I spend time gently opening all the meridian flows and make sure the person absorbs the energetic blessing (and recommend ionic minerals if they do not), and lots of very pure water or a gentle herbal tea.  It is amazing how much detox can happen with this level of support, with the body pouring out a lot of dark urine to detox itself.  It is one of the many signs of how useful energy healing (with breathwork) is.

I would recommend that a person who wishes to do "smoking cessation" get support from a health professional and/or from an energy healer, particularly from one who can be nonjudgmental and supportive of the process, and who understands that "gentle is powerful" and that "more is not always better".  If you feel unable to find someone in your own area, I can give some support via phone and via remote energy healing.

I have no moral issues with smokers and have some friends who are still smokers.  I do have a wish that they release the habit for the sake of their own health and happiness.  I do feel that meditation can provide the benefits of calm and peace that they seek through tobacco, and with less side effects.  I have been a little more vocal about inviting people to do this shift into nonsmoking since a friend had died from tobacco use recently.  Sometimes we fall into the comfort of a familiar toxic habit and something needs to jar us into being proactive in ending it.  I want to state that I think this is worthwhile.  I find, too, that cigarettes are one of the better defended habits.  A person really needs to decide to end it, and really want to be free from this habit, for it to end.  I would like to share that ending it does not have to be very hard.  There is support possible.  Anger is a separative emotion.  It is a way of distancing oneself from being deeply interpersonal with people.  The cigarette personality does not really like getting help from others and feeling vulnerable this way.  Even choosing to get some help and support helps to break this trance.  A person does not have to go it alone.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Inner Cleanse and Liver Flush


I wanted to write some notes about some cleansing processes.  I have been asked a few times about a Liver Flush formula that has worked for me in the past and consists of two phases:

A tea with equal parts of:
Peppermint
Fennel
Yellow Dock
Burdock

Nowadays I would also add:
Dandelion Root
Fenugreek
Clove (1/4 the amount of the others)
Triphala (1/4 the amount of the others)

to the formula.  Two tablespoons (3 tablespoons you add the other ingredients) and two cups of water, bring to boil, and simmer for 5 minutes.  The process yields one cup of Liver detox tea.

You want to prepare the above tea as a chaser for the powerful liver flush brew below:

2 Oranges
1 Lemon
1 Garlic clove
1 Ginger knob
2 tablespoons of Olive Oil

everything but the Olive Oil ran through a juicer.  Orange has the peel removed, the Lemon does not have the peel removed (unless it is not organic).  It is a slight foul brew and the tea is a welcome chaser to wash it down.  They work well together.  Many people have found the tea alone to be effective.

As always, please check with your health professional if you have any concerns about the use of this formula and respect your own biochemical individuality.  This formula is fairly safe, but the juiced portion of the formula is very intense and may bring up a lot for people to release.  Sometimes anger issues get intensified (and others around you may be more aware of this sooner than you are).  If it is too intense, just stay with the tea longer.

It also helps to have a cleansing diet at the same time.  If you are not already Vegan, then temporarily become Vegan for this cleanse.  Eat lots of salad with fresh grated carrots, any kind of leafy green, no raw onions, and perhaps some Daikon radishes (thinly sliced).  A small amount of rice and lentils for substance can be added.  Triple Leaf Detox tea is a very good conventional brand tea that helps to detox the body and is a useful supplement to this process and is very inexpensive.  Fresh juices, both from fruit and from vegetables, also helps this detox.

About 10 days in a row with the formulas should be enough, though a few have gone for about 21 days with a deeper cleanse happening and even some gallstones being released (a little extra Olive Oil helps to move them out).

I would also add a tea made of warm water and a teaspoon of Triphala powder a few nights before going to sleep, to help detox and heal the intestines.  This should be gentle enough to continue with longer if you are finding benefit with this.

If you have cheese in your diet, you may need to dissolve all the mucoid strands in your intestines first, so that your body has a cleansing path to remove the toxins from itself.  Cheese is about 70 percent Elmer's Glue (there is a smiling cow on the label for a reason, though in reality the cows are not smiling all that much).  If you want to get clear on this, buy some casein free Vegan cheese, cheddar cheese, and Elmer's glue to compare, notice the gooey texture of two of them, and how the Vegan "cheese" does not have it and barely melts right.  There are some special herbal formulas to cleanse the colon of mucoidal strands.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Raw Pea Soup Version 5


I made a recipe of "raw pea soup" this morning.  It consisted of about two cups of frozen peas, covered with filtered water and then blended in a powerful blender (in my case a 1/4 horse power one).  Then I added a small amount of apples, mangoes, and pineapple for sweetness, and then blended again.  Then I added parsley, basil, turmeric, ginger, and cilantro, and then blended, occasionally adding water to thin the liquid enough so that the blender does not work too hard, but not enough to spoil the cream soup texture.  Added about 1/4 cup of Tahini, 1/8 cup of Miso, some shakes of Himalayan salt, two shakes of Tamari gluten free soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of chili paste, and two squeezes of lemon juice, and then blended again.  Added 1/4 cup of corn, and then blended again.  Added some Flax Seed Oil (3 tablespoons) and Eschium Oil (2 tablespoons) for Omega 3's and just pulsed on low power (to preserve the delicate Omega 3's).

The tahini and peas have a fair amount of protein.  Pineapple has the enzymes.  The Himalayan salt has ionic minerals.  There are many herbs with good medicinal properties in this mix.  There are natural fruit sugars for some good energy.