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Daffodils and crocus flowers mean more than just the addition of color to our landscape. They’re here to alert us that spring has arrived! Despite the gray skies and chilly weather, our days have lengthened enough to give the plant life of our region the signal that all systems are GO!
Shed the heaviness of winter time by taking advantage of this early burst of nature’s energy with spring cleaning. Eliminating the excess from our lives and cleaning out the nooks and crannies of the external, and internal environment is a great way to brighten up your life.
Initially, through house cleaning we may discover long lost treasures that are actually useful and prevent us from needing to purchase new items. Perhaps they may even inspire some creativity, rearranging items to make something new again. Secondly, donations to the local Goodwill can help keep things out of landfills and allow others to purchase perfectly functional items at a reduced cost. And always, eliminating the excess from our homes can provide a refreshing feeling of accomplishment and renewal.
Now, it’s time to look inside our bodies and consider what may be accumulating there. Arsenic, bisphenol A, perchlorate, flouride, lead, flame retardants, mercury, phthalates, and many other dirty words can adequately describe what we carry around with us in our daily travels. These substances are all found to cause severe health effects; reproductive disorders, thyroid disorders, mental health imbalances, immune dysfunction, cancers and many other problems. Unfortunately, most of these substances bio-accumulate, pass on to our children and are not easily eliminated by the body. Additionally, their presence is vast, extending far into regions where the benefits of the industrialized world have not yet reached. Please visit the Environmental Working Group (http://www.ewg.org/) for more information on toxicity in our world, homes and bodies and to learn about simple changes you can make to improve the health of future generations.
So what are we to do, living amongst the worlds richest in both resources and toxic plastic junk? Perhaps looking to our ancestors can assist us in our present quandry. For many northern latitude people, springtime was a lean time of year. The food stock of the previous year has come to an end and the earth is not yet providing much nourishment. Thus, an ideal time to fast or go without as the body engages in its own deep cleaning. Springtime has been a time to fast for various religious purposes as well. Refraining from consumption can connect us to the past, to acknowledge the sacrifices of those that came before us as well as provide a new appreciation for our abundance.
This spring, allow yourself time to clean house and consider utilizing cleansing methods for your internal health as well. Cleanse programs are widely variable but in general, should work to increase your elimination and reduce your consumption. Any product based cleanse system may just be adding more substances for the body to have to deal with. However, ceasing consumption altogether, as in a water-only fast may be too extreme for some individuals. Finding the right balance to support yourself through the daily life that will likely continue, while increasing elimination is the goal for a beneficial spring-cleaning program.
For more information and guidance through an individually designed spring cleanse, I am here to help! I have been guiding individual and group cleanse programs for many seasons and greatly enjoy this opportunity to help people discover how routine changes can make a big impact in their health. I will be offering 2 group cleanse opportunities this April and May at Kwan Yin Healing Arts as well as individual programs at your convenience. Visit the “appointments” page for contact info or visit my Clinic at – http://www.kwanyinhealingarts.com/.
Reconnect to your vital self with a
Fall Cleanse Program:
Support your body through the change of seasons with a fall cleanse. Seasonal cleansing offers health benefits by enhancing the eliminatory functions of the body. Ideal for:
~Supporting overall health
~Improving chronic disease and inflammation
~Strengthening the immune system for winter
~Preparing for pregnancy
2008 Programs Available:
INDIVIDUAL: Includes information on how to ease through a detoxification program, support elimination, and create a recipe for success.
• Available anytime, September through November.
• Program includes individual consultation, 1 hydrotherapy treatment,
• 1 steam and 1 massage treatment. Cost= $120.
GROUP: Join together in community to support one another in a journey of healing. One week of a simplified diet program with 3 days of modified fasting.
• November 8th through the 16th
• Program includes 3 group meetings, 2 hydrotherapy treatments with optional massage therapy, limited to 10 participants. Cost=$150.
Go beyond the limitations of your self
and find that what you have been looking for
has been with you all along.
For more information or to register, please contact
Sara Hart, LMT at 503-422-3032 or sararynhart@yahoo.com
www.harthealingarts.com
Integrative treatment models in health care offer a great deal of synergy by treating the whole person, both in the immediate and long term. Regarding cancer treatment, there are many tools that can come together in countless ways to help the journey to healing.
Modern cancer treatment includes a wide array of drug therapies that work toward destruction of the cancer cells. Despite relative success, this treatment strategy offers nothing in support of the patients organ systems that allowed for a cancer to grow in the first place. Incorporating hydrotherapy into cancer treatment may well provide the much needed support for a multitude of reasons.
Hydrotherapy is a treatment modality used around the world to varying degrees. From the morning shower, to a steam room followed by a roll in the snow, it is something we are all familiar with. The therapeutic application is something far greater than most consider. Using water with varying temperatures causes effects throughout the body. Targeting specific organs of the body and shifting the temperature creates a cascade of effects that can improve health overall by supporting circulation and detoxification.
Hyperthermia is a modality that is gaining popularity in the treatment of cancer patients for its ability to aid in tumor reduction and increase patient tolerance to chemotherapy and radiation. Some physicians are finding that they are able to use much lower doses of drug therapies when used in combination with hyperthermia. Hyperthermia works through heating the body in a variety of ways for a set period of time, stimulating a fever response. The understanding for its effectiveness is through the simple physiology of increasing circulation and oxygenation of the tissues. As with any fever the immune system is activated, particularly the heat shock proteins, which help facilitate cellular function and destruction. The effect on cancer cells is the stimulation of their elimination.
Research in immunology has identified multiple triggers for increasing heat shock protein transcription and activation. These compounds are found throughout the plant and animal kingdoms and have been studied extensively in agriculture. In addition to heat; cold, light and other stressors also activate HSPs. It has been suggested that the traditional hydrotherapy technique of alternating hot and cold applications to the body may activate HSPs better than heat alone.
The initial theory behind hydrotherapy relates to the traditional understanding that stagnation encourages disease processes. A stagnant pond will support vastly different life than a flowing stream. Stasis in the body changes the overall mileu as well. Cellular activities all require adequate oxygenation to maintain their healthy balance. Areas of poor circulation are more likely to store metabolic wastes and environmental toxins that the body encounters constantly in the modern world.
Hydrotherapy treatments have known effects in increasing circulation to stagnant tissues. This in itself may be curative to many disease processes. Laboratory analysis has shown increased production of white blood cells’s and reduced cortisol after a treatment. Suspected benefits include activation of heat shock proteins. Together, the effects have great potential in supporting health.
For a list of references and for more information, email sararynhart@yahoo.com.
Detoxification is often considered a tool necessary for drug addicts and alcoholics. While there is an intense an overt physical reaction to stopping these substances, the essence of detoxing reaches far beyond this population. To detoxify is simply the process that occurs in the liver constantly, when substances are broken down and built up in order to be eliminated from the body. The toxin may be a normal byproduct of metabolism, a intermediary step in a pathway of something non-toxic, or something overtly damaging to the body from start to finish. Whatever the method of origin, a toxin in the body disrupts normal organ function and causes cellular damage. Fortunately we are well equipped for this process, when we are in an optimal state of health and when our exposure is reasonable. However, our modern world is filled with substances that require nearly constant work to address. Driving down the road, drinking tap water, taking a shower, cooking a meal: all of these simple daily activities can overwhelm our system with toxic substances over time, depending on our choices.
The outcome of toxic exposures in the body are many. Cellular damage leads to poor organ function which can lead to poor metabolism, fatigue, body aches, obesity, hormonal disturbances, abnormal cell formation, cancer, and the myriad of unexplained symptomatic patterns. Toxic accumulation can play a role in every type of disease. Generally, the symptoms develop slowly, over time and may be considered normal aging at first.
Encouraging normal detoxification in the body is something that can be achieved through numerous simple, daily life activities. Depending upon the personal experience and individual imbalance, a combination of tools can make a world of difference. In general, detoxification practices should involve taking fewer substances into the body and encouraging the normal elimination pathways. However, occasionally assisting detoxification with medicinal substances is necessary. For more information on detoxification, stay tuned for the publication of my book, The Daily Detox Lifestyle… Meanwhile, you can contact me at the locations listed in “Contact”.
Rejuvenate yourself with a summer group cleanse!
Experience nature cure at its finest and the deep sense of renewal from taking a break from daily routines.
Re-establish healthy habits and make a new commitment to your personal path of optimal living.
Share the support of a 3-week journey exploring diet, habits and routine self-care.
July 23rd 6:30 pm : Natural Health Center, 2220 SW First Avenue
This program includes:
- One week of modified fasting-individually designed
- Two weeks of dietary and detoxification support
- Three collective meetings
- Three personalized hydrotherapy treatments
- Massage therapy optional
Cost: $200. Limited to 10 participants.
Brought to you by Sara Hart, LMT (June ’08 ND, MSOM!!!)
To register contact Sara at
503-552-1551 xt. 5326 or email sararynhart@yahoo.com
Dietary cleansing or fasting has been a traditional way to support health for centuries. The focus of this program will be to encourage the inner wisdom to awaken by giving the routine habits a rest. We will meet for 3 weeks on wednesday evenings at the Natural Health Center. I will be providing resources on diet, health and detoxification at each meeting as well as information for the week. Together, we will share a journey of commitment and support, being witness to the struggles and triumphs with one another. By the end, you will have established what is optimal as well as reasonable for your ongoing routine of wellness!
Imagine yourself surrounded by the movement of warm air, particles of water traveling through like a warm mist from a tropical waterfall. The mist collecting on the skin encourages the gentle opening of the skin pores and as the body warms, the muscles relax. As the muscles relax, the mind calms and the activity of the body is given priority to the bustle of daily life.
As the body warms, the blood flow shifts to the periphery. As the blood moves to the periphery, it leaves the interior and the organs end up with a reduced amount of blood. This serves the purpose of maintaining the desired internal temperature and keeping the organs cool. The skin pores open with the hope that the effect of moisture on the body surface will meet a cool breeze and carry away the excess heat, allowing the body to cool overall. While in the containment of a steam room, there is no hope of cooling as the surrounding air becomes warmer and warmer. The body temperature increases. More blood flow shifts to the skin and the pores open larger and the body fluid exits as sweat.
The great benefit of this process is that a large amount of environmental toxins get stored within the subcutaneous tissues. This is the layer just beneath the skin. As the pores open and sweat is released, these toxins have a direct route to exit the body. Increasing the body temperature activates the immune system, similar to the effect of a fever. This results in even greater detoxification as the macrophages and other mechanisms of house cleaning come alive.
When a person leaves a steam room, the circulatory shift has left the blood at the periphery. If the person departs and goes about their daily business, the heat leaves the body gradually, the pores stay open and the interior grows cooler and cooler. Unless the person has a high body temperature to begin with, this process leaves the person in greater detriment than benefit with a reduced core body temperature.
In the traditional practice of hydrotherapy, the balance of body temperature is of utmost importance. When the pores are opened to entice detoxification, they must then be closed. Ending a steam with cold contrast is an essential piece of the therapy. The cold temperature on the skin surface not only provides a relief from the heat but also closes the skin pores, shrinks the peripheral capillaries and encourages the blood flow to move toward the interior. The net effect is an immense circulatory exchange, as if the organs of the body were wrung out like a towel with the blood flow drifting to the periphery, then rushing back internally.
At the Natural Health Center we provide steam therapy in a traditional Russian Steam Bath. This is a device that a person sits in upright with the head exposed to the open air. As the steam fills the container and surrounds the body with warmth, the head is kept cool and able to breath easily. This helps prevent the internal body from overheating. Additionally, the shift in temperature happens so gradually that the effect of the steam is very comfortable. For people who dislike heat or who do not like to sweat, the Russian Steam is a great way to train the body to be more productive in eliminating through the skin. Midway through the treatment, a salt scrub is applied to the extremities to again encourage the pores to open. Then the steam ends with a cold scrub from feet to head to close the pores and return the bloodflow to the interior.
This treatment is a 60 minute appointment. Cost is $20. Add a 30 minute massage after the steam for an exceptional treatment! Call the Natural Health Center to schedule your appointment today. 503-552-1551
The fern uncoils its fronds to greet the warming air of springtime. The crocus peeks its blossoms out of the cold earth to entice the insect world back into activity. As the snow melts in the high country, the fresh water renews the earth below.
All around us the signs of spring remind us of the possibility of new growth. As the bud opens to brave the new world and share its beauty, it also offers a promise for the future. The opening of the flower serves to encourage pollination so that new seeds can be made for the next year. For people who live closely with the land, the excitement and hope of the springtime is felt as the knowledge that new sprouts promise the abundance of food, warmth and the long summer days on the horizon.
Sharing in the energy of springtime, we can draw our attention to what we want to transform in our lives. It is already known what kind of flower a seed with create, but it may not be so clear what kind of person a child will become. Spring is the perfect time to develop the imagination of what we hope to become.
Things to consider:
1. What would you like to become in the coming months or years?
2. What does the ideal daily life routine look like for you?
3. How is that different from today?
4. What are the steps that can be taken to help that become real?
Change is always possible. Almost every cell in the body is recreated on a regular basis. This redevelopment is most apparent in the liver, which rebuilds itself every night during sleep. Within a week after removing 2/3’s of a diseased liver, it will regenerate to its normal size. The liver is responsible for processing everything that we take in from the environment. Food, medicine and environmental toxins all must go through the liver in order to be utilized and/or excreted. Supporting liver function is an important aspect of maintaining health. The springtime is the optimal time to do this because the liver energy is strongest now.
There are many ways to support liver function. The hours of 10pm and 2am are most important for liver processing. Making sure you are in deep sleep by this time will make the most of the springtime energy and regeneration. Eating leafy green vegetables such as; spinach, dandelion greens, swiss chard, kale, collard greens, nettles and bok choy all encourage liver function and detoxification. Spend some time planting the seeds of your intentions this springtime in order to harvest your ideals in the coming year.
Optimal wellness or just getting through the day, either way abstaining from consumption is a tool that can be utilized for a number of purposes.
Today, I embark on day 2 of a fall cleansing program. The intention is to minimize what I consume to only vegetables and rice for 3 days, then 3 days of fluids only, then another week of gradual reintroduction of foods. Already, I notice the fiendish desire of the appetite and how it can easily monopolize much of my energy. Setting that aside, I feel a greater ease of being in my body, a lightness, a clearing.
Seasonal cleansing, or fasting can take on many forms and doesn’t have to necessarily be nutritional deprivation. There is a lot of fear that I get from people when I tell them about fasting as if they might starve. Certainly in our not so distant past and for many people around the world today, starvation is a tragic reality. As westerners, we have the opposite problem. Too much of everything everywhere. Too much stimulation, too many calories, too many ticky tacky homes. The predominant diseases in our country are those of excess.
Taking a moment to evaluate what is needed and what is not perfectly reflects the fall season as the trees are stripped bare and many creatures die before the harsh winter comes along. It is the natural balance. Connecting to this rhythm of seasonal change and eliminating our excess is a great way to prepare for a healthier winter.
This season I have 3 others participating in the experience with me. Sharing our hopes, our struggles and all of the situations that come up for us as we eliminate the excess in our lives to a point of taking in nearly nothing at all. Life can be very simple.
Simple and effective, hydrotherapy is a healing modality utilizing the natural healing properties of water and temperature variation to alter blood flow and promote wellness throughout the body. Just as a pool of water needs continuous flow to maintain a healthy balance, stagnation in the organ systems can develop disease processes. Hydrotherapy promotes detoxification, improves oxygenation in the tissues and provides an overall increase in healing energy to create balance. Useful for the full spectrum of disease from common colds and seasonal detox programs to chronic digestive diseases and cancer, hydrotherapy is an incredible tool.
Treatments involve a 5 minute consultation and 40 minutes on a treatment table with temperature alternations applied to the skin surface. Cost=$40. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 503-552-1551.
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