Welcome to Lesley’s New Practice!
Radiance Energy Medicine for a healthy body, mind and soul In the past I separated out my sessions of acupuncture, herbs, food therapy and shamanic practices. Now I have incorporated them all togethe …
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On Ghosts and Bones and Dragon Bone . . .
When I think of bones I think of animal parts or anatomy or even the state of my on bones, but I definitely don’t think of ghosts. Yet, in my bones some ghosts do live ‘” as in the Chinese version of …
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Wonderful Celebration and Healing Song
Anyone know this wonderful little song, great for both healing and when you feel like celebrating? It’s great to have running in our mental backgrounds rather than the obsessive thoughts our monkey mi …
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Make Every Day Thanks-giving
How wonderful it is that our country has one day a year dedicated to giving thanks! Do other cultures have such a day? Of course our Thanksgiving day started on “shaky ground” what with the pilgrims t …
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A Few of My Favorite Herbal Things
A couple of weeks ago I had an idea for a new blog post: a gift-giving list of some of my favorite herbal things. I wanted to publish it in early December so everyone would have time before Christmas …
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Salvia, Our Saving Grace
I once had to introduce myself as a teacher at an American Herbalists Guild conference by identifying my favorite herb. Now, I have to say that I hate this type of public pop quiz where I have to make …
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Start Your New Year off Right – Do Nothing!
Caught your attention with that one, didn’t I? … … Why give yourself permission to do nothing these days, especially at a time of year when most are busily making New Year’s resolutions? W …
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A Beautiful Poem to Live by . . .
I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear Of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me, To make me less afraid, More accessible; To loosen my h …
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Have a REALLY Happy Valentine’s Day!
With the big hype surrounding St. Valentine’s Day already in full swing, many of us turn our thoughts to romance and, perhaps, aphrodisiacs. Now, I don’t tend to work with the western concept of aphro …
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Stillness in Action
I have loved Mary Oliver’s poems ever since Michael introduced me to them. Provocative, sensual and rich in nature, they easily pull my mind back to the earth and so to endless nourishment. Last year …
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The Additional Wonders of “Benefit Lung Pills”
I’ve always used Li Fei Pian, or “Benefit Lung Pills,” for Lung Yin-deficient cough (a dry, nonproductive cough with other possible symptoms of low grade fever in the afternoon and/or evening and mala …
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Ophiopogon – Another Favorite Herb
Ophiopogon is a true blessing to those with Yin deficiency. … … Sweet, cooling and moistening, it nourishes Yin and clears deficient heat while at the same time expectorating phlegm for the …
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Spring Tips for a Happy Liver
Spring is the beginning of the year, when the earth awakens and new life bursts forth. It’s a time of planting seeds, physically and mentally. This season stirs the uprising of vital energy; just as s …
DetailsCordyceps, the strange ‘herb’
Call it a woman’s prerogative if you like, but I have a newfavorite herb! Now, I’m not fickle with my herbs, just adventurous, exploratory and passionate. So when a new herb grabs my attention I have …
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The Fire Without and the Fire Within: Herbal and Health Tips for Summer
Summer is the essence of life, growth, heat and activity. With the sun at its zenith, nights are short and days are long. Our energy is expansive now, flowing outward to act on the plans and seeds sow …
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Make a summer herbal salve for bites, stings and scrapes
While summer is one of my favorite times of year, I could do without mosquito bites, scraped shins and bee stings. That’s why I usually carry a tin of herbal salve with me wherever I hike (or travel, …
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A Great Summer Sip: Cooling Chrysanthemum
The Chinese drink chrysanthemum as a summer beverage for its refreshing taste and cooling properties. It clears heat from the Liver and Lungs and indirectly, the Stomach and Kidneys, thus making it a …
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Watch Yourself! A great tool for self-diagnosis
Recently I reviewed some of the wonderful DVDs that David LaLuzerne of Green Earth Herbs’ HerbTV made of several teachers at our 2008 East West Herb Course seminar. On one of these videos, I was the f …
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Herbs for Late Summer
Many climates throughout the world have five seasons; late summer, or Indian Summer, is usually the fifth. Associated with the Earth Element in traditional Chinese medicine, late summer is a time of s …
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Mulberry Dreams
Our Mulberry Tree! Early this morning I trudged out under the foggy sky and picked all I could from our one mulberry tree. Last week I had only gotten two handfuls; now I filled a small bucket. As jui …
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Comfrey Comfort
Recently I was sitting in my garden one late afternoon trying to pull myself together after a very scattering day. (You know those days, the ones when you plan to do certain things, but instead, every …
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That Other Flu Rose: Garlic
No matter what name you give it (or what animal you name it after), we’re now full swing into the flu season. Michael’s written on the great benefits of onion poultice; how can I pass up touting one o …
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In Search of Figgy Treats
We’ve got two fig trees: one a black mission and one a green fig. The black mission we call, “Walking Fig,” because it’s been transplanted so many places and seems to like it. Both are prolific, alth …
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Appreciate the Little Things
I recently stated using a macro lens on my camera and it has changed my world — not just in getting greater close-up shots, but also in bringing the “micro” universe better into view (for a similar …
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Winter diet, herb and lifestyle reminders for a healthy year ahead
In Fall we harvest the fruits and labors of Spring’s planting and planning. Shorter days and cooler nights send the surface fires into the body. Just as many people harvest bounty from their gardens t …
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Herbalists, Keep Learning: You Know More than You Know
At the recent American Herbalists Guild conference, I met various people who felt inadequate about their herbal knowledge ‘”- that they were somehow inferior to teachers or to other AHG professional m …
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Release the Past with Ho’Oponopono
Start the new year by cleansing old energies! One of the best ways I know to release the past is through Ho’Oponopono, an ancient Hawaiian cleansing technique used to release unwanted memories, though …
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Nourish Yourself with Shilajit for Valentine’s Day
A libido as unwavering as the Himalayas? With the help of shilajit, perhaps! Let’s face it, when people think about Valentine’s Day they think of sex. But rather than write about aphrodisiacs, I want …
DetailsQuickly Clearing those Wind-Chill Colds and Flu
The cold and flu season is still upon us. While Michael wrote about treating flu last fall, especially the swine flu, I want to address a different approach here. Cold/flu treatment usually falls into …
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Wind-Chill Colds and Flu: What They Are and How to Treat Them
The cold and flu season is still upon us. Michael wrote about treating flu last fall, especially the swine flu, but I want to address a different approach here. Cold/flu treatment usually falls into t …
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When Should I Take My Herbal Formula?
Students and clients often ask me, “When the best time is to take my herbs?” This is a very good question, and there are several different answers. (However, in truth, the best time to take herbs is…
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Diet and Herb Tips for Spring Health
No matter where you live ‘” snowy Michigan or sunny Florida ‘” Spring is upon us. In nature, this energy is represented by sap rising and buds bursting. Likewise, these same energies stir within as we …
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How to Get Sick
There is so much focus on what one should do in order to stay well that I sometimes find switching the tables helps people gain a different perspective of how their habits invite sickness into their l …
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Summertime: The Heart Time of Year
We have now moved into the “Heart time” of the year. It runs from about mid-April through June and encompasses the traditional Chinese medical concept of the fire element and the organs of Heart and S …
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Codonopsis: The “Other” Ginseng
Although not a ginseng at all, codonopsis has similar tastes, energies and tonifying properties as ginseng. As well, both herbs affect the Lung and Spleen organs and meridians. Yet, because it is mild …
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San Qi or Tienqi Ginseng: A Premier Herb to Stop Bleeding
Now that I’m on to ginseng-like herbs, here’s another one that can be taken during the summer. Its real name is Panax notoginseng, known in Chinese pinyin as san qi, but is best known by its commercia …
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Late Summer: Season of Earth
We have just moved into time of year that corresponds to the Spleen and Stomach according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. This means that the energy of those organs flourishes now and is at its stron …
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Summer Soup (Kicharee)
Summer kicharee is not only great for detoxification, but it is also a light summer soup perfect for the hot months of year. It is balanced in protein and can include as many local vegetables as you w …
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Throwing Down the Gauntlet on Sugar!
I find it extremely annoying that the west has gone sweet, that is, sickly sweet. This occurs not just in mainstream food products, but in health food as well. Until recently, it was easy to find suga …
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Treating GERD with Chinese Medicine
As we are well into the season of late Summer, more cases are presenting at my clinic with Spleen and Stomach issues. One of my latest was a GERD client, whom I will call Bob. In his late 40s, Bob has …
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End of Summer Tummy Woes
Digestive issues are up now for many people ‘” this is the time of year people often gain weight and can’t lose it; some may have summer diarrhea or loose stools; or others may get more burping, belch …
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Joint of the Seasons: Fall
We have reached the joint of the seasons, late Summer into Fall. This is the most vulnerable time of year for many people. With days and nights alternating between hot and cold, the body undergoes ext …
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Confession
I have to admit I’ve been a bit irregular with my blogs lately. But there’s a good reason. I’ve been working with East West student and editor Anne de Courtenay for two years to revise the East West …
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Herbs for Fall Dry Coughs
The energy of fall is cool and dry. You can feel it in the air and your lungs regardless of rain or snow. Coughs tend to be dry, even when there’s phlegm stuck deep inside and is difficult to expector …
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Giving Thanks for Calendula
Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is an amazing herb. It is probably under-utilized and under-appreciated, so I’m going to give it its due thanks! Calendula is a very old herb, employed since the 12th …
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Winter: Time to Rest, Rest, Rest!
We have definitely entered the most crucial time of year ‘” winter. Whether you live in tropical Hawaii or frosty Minnesota, the energy of winter is the same: storage. Conserve and preserve your reso …
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Spice up your holidays
Spice up your holidays this year with three of the season’s best medicinal spices: cinnamon, cardamom and ginger. Because of their hot energy (or warming in the case of cardamom), they also spark your …
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Shed Light on Your Life this New Year
Instead of making traditional resolutions this year, lose weight, save money, change jobs, shed light on your life and make the big changes instead by shifting the life patterns and cyclical themes th …
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Two Immortals
We are in the depth of Kidney time now and will be for about another three weeks. This is when Kidney energy is supposed to flourish. However, if there’s any kidney imbalance now, then those symptoms …
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Cultivate Your Virtues this Valentine’s Season
Our emotions, attitudes and self-perceptions are often physiologically rather than emotionally based. This is a very powerful concept. It means that people’s emotional outbursts may have more than str …
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Nourish Your Yin with Yi Guan Jian
I’ve already addressed strengthening Kidney Yang with Two Immortals in an earlier blog post. Now that we’ve shifted from Kidney time of year to the Liver season, people may experience more Yin depleti …
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Hypertension II (Too!): A TCM look at types of high blood pressure
Michael has just done a great blog on hypertension, so I decided to supplement that with further information that I use. I have found a system created by the acupuncturist/teacher, Jimmy Chang, to be …
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Wen Dan Tang
In honor of the near end of Liver/Gallbladder time of year, here’s another favorite formula of mine: Wen Dan Tang. It has many uses, especially as a sedative and expectorant, but it is specifically sa …
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Treat the Person, Not the Disease
Recently I had an experience with someone that reminded me again about the major tenet of TCM ‘treat the person and not the condition.’ While to our students and TCM practitioners this may seem obviou …
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Summer’s Back: Is It Supporting You?
have treated a LOT of people for low back pain this past month — far more than usual. Even people whose back pain was gone had it flare up again, though they had been exercising, eating well and taki …
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The Wonders of Wan Hua Oil
I first learned about Wan Hua Oil over 20 years ago when my seven-year old son ran into a doorpost. A huge lump immediately rose on his forehead above his right eyebrow, turning black and blue before …
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Agastache for Summer’s End
Summer’s end can be a tricky time of year health-wise. It is the completion of Spleen/Stomach time, the season of monsoons in much of the world. This means that forms of dampness can be a particular p …
DetailsWhen “Going Viral” Isn’t a Good Thing
While most people dream of their projects and ideas going viral, there is one area in which we definitely want to avoid this — our health. And we are just at the most vulnerable time of year for “goi …
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A Tribute to Aviva Romm
As many of you know, our past AHG president, Aviva Romm (shown here), stepped down this past year. While there have been many wonderful past presidents and we have a great new president in KP Khalsa, …
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In Thanksgiving to Barefoot Doctors
Ever since I learned Barefoot Doctor techniques I have been most thankful, as they often heal conditions where nothing else works. They were named as such for the native healers of China who would wal …
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Nourishing Your Body, Heart and Spirit During the Holiday Season
When people study herbs and natural medicine they tend to focus solely on physical health. And yet the health of one’s spirit is just as important to one’s well-being. After all, we are not human bein …
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Wishing You a Do-Be New Year
Yes, you read that right! I wish you a do-be-do-be-do-be year! Now what in the heck is that? In today’s world, most people are action oriented, or “do”-oriented. We make plans, cross off completed it …
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Confessions of a Weight Gainer — and Loser
Weight has never particularly been a problem for me. Yes, I’ve weighed more than I “should” at various times in my life, but when I focused on losing it, the weight came off. In the last few years, h …
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Mitochondria and Brain Supplements
Mitochondrial DNA is big on the alternative scene these days. Brain research and the role mitochondria play has given rise to many new products. Some are quite expensive and promise great brain health …
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Turmeric: Pros, Cons, and Contraindications
Turmeric has become increasingly popular over the last decade, first for blood purification and then for joint pain. As it’s hit the mainstream, its uses have narrowed at the same time. While turmeric …
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Healing the Whole Person
Healing means “to make whole.” This is frequently forgotten by western medicine as it typically approaches the body like a machine and expects it to respond as such. We herbalists can also forget, as …
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Notation Tips for Herbalists and other Complementary Health Practitioners
Recently I read an article in Acupuncture Today titled “The Devil is in the Details” written by acupuncturist Douglas Briggs, who is frequently called upon to give his opinion on standard care in depo …
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Healing Crisis, or Wrong Formula?
You’ve just made an herbal formula for a new client. She took it for several days, but then began to get sick! You wonder: Is your client having a ‘healing crisis,’ or did you give her the wrong formu …
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Herbal Tonics: East and West
“What is the difference between a tonic in eastern versus western herbalism?” This question, launched at me during our last seminar, was a good one that deserved more attention than I could give at th …
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Give Thanks to Your Illness with “Metaphor-phosis”
Why would one ever want to thank an illness? After all, illness is often distracting, discouraging, depressing, even painful. What good is there in that? Most people feel this way – I certainly have o …
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Spice Up Your Holiday with Healing Culinary Herbs
I don’t know what it is about the holidays and me, but when this time of year comes around I think about spices. It’s probably because of the season – winter, colder weather, Kidney time – and spicing …
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The Mother of All Diseases: Stagnation (Part One)
Usually this time of year I write about resting more, doing less and in general, relaxing to replenish your vital kidney energy. Yet, it’s also important to balance rest with movement or exercise. Lyi …
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The Mother of All Diseases: Stagnation (Part Two)
In Part I of this blog, I discussed the Five Stagnations in general along with some non-herbal treatments. Here are two general herbal formulas that can be used for all types of stagnation. Stagnation …
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The First Stagnation: Qi Stagnation, Part 1
Last month we discussed the five stagnations in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) along with two formulas to treat all five. In honor of Spring, which begins this year on Feb 10 (Chinese New Year), w …
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The First Stagnation: Qi Stagnation, Part 2
In Part 1 we learned about the many signs and symptoms of Qi stagnation and its far reaching affects on physical and mental health. In this segment we’ll cover how to treat and prevent Qi stagnation. …
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The Second Stagnation: Blood Stasis, Part 1
After briefly covering the five stagnations in January (Parts 1 and 2) and Qi stagnation in February (Parts 1 and 2), it makes sense to cover Blood stasis next. Qi and Blood are intricately connected …
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The Second Stagnation: Blood Stasis, Part 2
In Part 1 we learned about the many signs and symptoms of Blood Stasis and its effects on health. Now, we’ll cover how to treat and prevent Blood Stasis. Of course you’ll be immediately interested in …
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The Third Stagnation: Cold Stagnation, Part 1
Years ago when I worked in Cleveland, I’d stare out the office window at a sunny spring day. Ecstatic to finally have warm weather, I’d rush out at lunchtime without a coat – it looked warm after all …
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The Third Stagnation: Cold Stagnation, Part 2
In Part I we learned about the many signs and symptoms of Cold Stagnation and its effects on physical and mental health. In this segment we’ll cover how to treat and prevent Cold Stagnation. You may b …
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The Fourth Stagnation: Damp Stagnation, Part 1
Whether you’ve had April showers or are experiencing May ones, rain is a great metaphor for Dampness in the body. Just as rain collects and congests traffic (Qi or Blood stagnation) it can also flood …
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The Fourth Stagnation: Damp Stagnation, Part 2
In Part I we learned about the many signs and symptoms of Damp Stagnation and its far reaching affects on health. In this segment we’ll cover how to treat and prevent Damp Stagnation and Phlegm. Of co …
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The Fifth Stagnation: Food Stagnation, Part 1
We made it! We got through Qi, Blood, Cold and Damp stagnations, and now we are on the fifth and last one: Food Stagnation. This one is perhaps the easiest to understand and relate to because certainl …
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The Fifth Stagnation: Food Stagnation, Part 2
In Part I we learned about the many signs and symptoms of Food Stagnation. In this segment we’ll cover how to treat and prevent it. Therapies for Food Stagnation Diet Therapy Foods to Eat: Adequate am …
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Find Your Hospital Advocate: Part 1
I hope this never happens to you, but it’s usually inevitable that one day either you or a loved one may end up in the hospital. This is most typical when caring for elderly parents, as happened to me …
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Find Your Hospital Advocate, Part 2
In Part I we discussed the essential need for having or being an advocate when you or a loved one is in the hospital. An advocate can operate long distance via phone, but in person is best and may eve …
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Care for the Caregiver, Part 1
Now that you know how to be and find a hospital advocate, what about the advocate herself? How does she get her much-needed support? Being a caregiver can be a staggering job and consume your mental, …
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Care for the Caregiver, Part 2
In Part I of this series I began the discussion about using of herbs to care for the caregiver. As a reminder, many herbs support your body-mind complex to assist in stressful times. They can increase …
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Snap Your Spleen Back in Shape! Part 1
We are at the end of the Spleen/Stomach “time of year” – actually the Spleen/Spleen time – meaning that digestive and metabolic issues can be especially strained now. Every organ system “rules” about …
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Snap Your Spleen Back into Shape! Part 2
In my last blog post we explored patterns of disharmony for the Spleen, which are so prevalent at this time of year. Here, I’ll discuss remedies for those patterns. SPLEEN DIET There are many great tr …
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What Is the Best Herbal Preparation for Your Condition?
When I first learned about herbs in the late ’70s, they were usually taken as capsules, with food, or smoked! As I began to study Chinese herbs I learned that they were typically prepared as teas. The …
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Cooking with Herbs for the Holidays
The holidays are fast approaching and before you know it, you might need to start cooking up a storm. But what if you’re tired of the same old recipes or you want to try something new? Look no further …
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These Are a Few of My Favorite Things Part 1
I decided it was high time again to introduce you to a few of my favorite things (I can’t believe it’s been five years since the last time I did this!). As I tend to focus on healing and not just herb …
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These Are a Few of My Favorite Things Part 2
HERBS – FOUR FAVORITES! While I’ve had many favorite herbs over the years with which I’ve experienced many wonderful healings, these four are my current favorites. Teasel (Dipsacus) I’ve long used …
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Got Shen? Part 1
Do you love life? Do you enjoy people? Are you enthusiastic about what you do? Do you wake up excited for your new day? Do your eyes sparkle? Are you playful? Then you’ve got Shen. If you currently do …
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Got Shen? Part 2
There are many herbal approaches to supporting Shen depending on the imbalance affecting it: Nourish the Shen through Heart Qi, Blood, or Yin tonics: fu shen, zizyphus, biota, asparagus root, reishi …
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Shilajit (Moomiyo), the Monarch of Tonics
There’s a fabulous kidney tonic that I want to tell you about if you don’t already know it – shilajit. Sometimes spelled silajit, shilajeeta, or shilajeet, it is also called ashmaja, black bitumen E, …
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Clinician-Client Connection (or, The Ritual of Medicine)
In the late 1980s, I attended the first International Congress of Healing in India and met Sai Baba. He spoke to a group of us about helping people heal and of all the things he said a practitioner co …
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Back to Basics: Making Herbal Teas with Brigitte Mars
So many of us are removed from our herbs these days since we generally choose faster methods of consumption such as pills, capsules, tablets, powdered extracts, and tinctures since they fit our busy l …
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