The employees I have tasked with picking topics for newsletters and blogs chose this topic, Companion Modalities, and made 4 suggestions in their instructions, followed by ‘etc.’ Wow! I believe they just gave this ‘wordy teacher’ permission to have lots of fun! I immediately ‘Googled’ alternative therapies for any ‘modalities’ I might have forgotten! What did I find? I found a great many modalities and healing methods that I have never experienced and know very little about! I can see from this search that the rest of my life will NOT be long enough to learn all that I wish I could find time for!

By the time I got done making a list of things I wanted to discuss with you, the suggestion was made that I divide my proposed topics into two articles instead of one and, perhaps, leave one or two (or more) for another time altogether. So, that is what I have decided to do. For these two articles, I will limit myself (for the most part) to things that we use and love in our home, teach about through Butterfly Expressions, LLC, and remedies that are provided to customers through Butterfly Express, LLC.

This month, instead of a few specific products being available on sale to my Foot Zone Focus readers, Butterfly Express is offering a coupon code for 10% off ALL non-sale items. All you need to do is enter the code FOOTZONEFOCUS when you check out to receive your discount!

My Personal Journey with Foot Zone Therapy

I did not come across Foot Zone Therapy until most, if not all, of my children were born. (It seems to me that ‘The Zone’ has always been a part of our lives, however!) As near as I can tell, it would have been between 32 and 36 years ago! (Not quite half of my lifetime.)

At my first Foot Zone (seeking help for Bronchitis), I was astounded at all of the things a very sweet woman could tell me about my physical body, my overall health, and even being ‘right-on’ about a couple of emotional things I was dealing with. My first Zone was on a cold December morning. I left with the weight on my chest and lungs greatly reduced and no coughing going on! In addition, I had to stop my car every few minutes and stamp my feet all the way home! The increased circulation to my feet was uncomfortably tingling! It took only a few days to realize that this first Foot Zone was making a tremendous difference, not just in the Bronchitis but in several long-standing problem areas of my overall health! I felt compelled to learn it for myself! And I did! Immediately!

The Zone is still, all these years and various healing modalities later, the ‘hands-on’ modality that I most often utilize for myself and my family! And I absolutely love CranioSacral work, which came into our lives a few years later! Of course, herbs, homeopathics, and essential oils are a part of every day in my world! With quality essential oils, herbal remedies, homeopathics, and companion modalities such as the ones mentioned here and in Companion Modalities—Article #2 (scheduled for next month), it is possible to nourish and heal the body (and the soul) without the side effects of drug therapies!

 

The ‘Alternative Healthcare’ Way of Life

Why did my husband and I choose the ‘alternative healing’ path? We were already (in the first month or so of our marriage) dabbling just a little in herbal medicine. My husband had brought home the book Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss and, shortly afterward, another book called From the Shepherd’s Purse. I found them both fascinating!

Then, still in the first year and a bit of our marriage, we found ourselves facing several life-changing crises. I am referring to my own scary reaction to antibiotics and to my husband having reacted equally as poorly to a drug therapy in his own past. Then, our first child was born with a serious structural problem in his trachea and esophagus. There was a connection between the two, which allowed fluid to seep into his lungs every time he nursed. It turned out that this week-old infant had inherited his mother’s reaction to antibiotics. The first instance of the doctors giving him one was scary indeed. We were told to take him home, clear up his lungs (without antibiotics), and return for surgery on his lungs very quickly. No advice was forthcoming about how we were to do that. The local ‘health food’ store became our counselors and friends! (Prayer and a Priesthood blessing also played a very large part in our son’s survival!)

Within that first year of marriage, my husband also managed to break his leg and then re-break it in the same place after it had supposedly healed! And I was told not to try to have another baby until one of my kidneys had been removed! These seemingly horrible situations resulted in our more thorough investigation of ‘alternative’ ways to keep ourselves and our first child well. (To say ‘staying alive’ would not be an exaggeration!)

What can I say, or feel, about all that except to know that while ‘God is Good’, He sometimes provides for us by giving us experiences that feel like disasters at the time!

See the full list of topics.

In This Issue

Herbal Remedies
Essential Oils
Homeopathy/Blessed Waters
CranioSacral
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Acupuncture/Acupressure
Classes at Butterfly Expressions, LLC

So, let’s begin this article where it all began for us! With herbal remedies.

In studying herbals, our goal is to appreciate the mysteries inherent in a human soul and ascertain the best holistic approach to imbalances within that soul/body/mind complex.

My husband and I (he does this better than I do) look at the plants—every one, and perhaps the rocks and minerals, too—as personal messages from a loving Heavenly Father. Because He understood that we would not always ask for, or even recognize, His help in our lives, He endowed the various plants with His own healing capacities and invited us to partake of them to balance and heal our own lives.

Plants affect us, not just on a physical (vitamin and molecular) level, but on a spiritual plane as well. It is impossible to use an herbal remedy to heal the physical body without partaking of its ability to bring light, wisdom, healing, and peace into our lives. The peace and wisdom will be multiplied many times over if we use the herbs with thanksgiving to the Creator and an acknowledgment of the role of the atonement in the healing of both physical and emotional (spiritual) pain.

Plants are living things. To feel the living spirit and intelligence of each plant is the true foundation of herbal medicine. Just as each plant can exemplify the attributes of our loving Father, so can the plants personify some lessons about the operation of the body and the soul. The possibilities for learning are endless. To think ‘herbally’ is to think differently! We must learn to think as nature does—holistically. Nature emphasizes the whole, rather than any one precise piece, and nature has an inherent logic and wisdom all its own.

In order to understand a medicinal herb, it is helpful to understand its use in a historical context. Unfortunately, much herbal knowledge has been lost, and this continuity is not always possible. It is interesting to note that whether the use of a particular herb was by ancient folk doctors, allopathic medical personnel of any era, or homeopathic practitioners, the medicinal properties claimed for the herb are always very similar. The medicinal properties of the herb do not change with time, methods of preparation, or the philosophy of the users. What works consistently WORKS—even for those who are skeptical!

Herbs live in and adapt to environmental stresses which correspond in many ways to problems in our own lives. The excesses of climate they experience are much like the distressing life situations which we sometimes face. Their triumphs over the adversities of nature become an integral part of their genetic makeup and healing properties. There are many amazing ‘Oriental Herbs,’ and I use many of them. However, I have found that if I focus on the plants native to the area in which I live, there is something to be found locally for nearly everything I need! And gathering herbs for your family’s use can be so satisfying!

We can find strength and growth in our own lives and bodies through our experiences with God’s creations. Herbs can be both our medicines and a reference point for understanding ourselves and the world around us. Plants, by their very nature, act upon the imbalances within our systems, not only on the viruses and bacteria that settle into these imbalanced environments. They strengthen us against adversity and attack.

To move into the realm of healing with God’s living pharmacy is to take a fuller measure of responsibility for ourselves, our welfare, and our happiness. I hope you are finding as much joy and healing in the herbal journey as I have experienced over the years!

Aromatherapy and so much more!

Essential oils contain the nutritive values and healing properties of plants in a very concentrated form. They often heal the body, mind, and spirit, while regenerating damaged tissue and bringing oxygen to deprived cells. I will mention here, very briefly, some of the ways (and reasons why) essential oils can be a great blessing to us.

There still seems to be a bit of controversy about whether or not the nutritive elements of an essential oil are absorbed into the body in such a way as to provide nutrition to the user when applied externally. There are studies available and a well-written book by a renowned and well-trained chemist that indicate—clearly—that they are. If you are interested, the book is The Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple, by David Stewart, PhD, D.N.M. My son, who has a PhD in Chemistry, reviewed this book for me and was very impressed both by the simplicity of the explanations and the accuracy of the information and the tests quoted!

For me, the ‘proof’ came earlier! If I can put an essential oil on my feet and ‘taste’ it on my tongue within 2 or 3 minutes, it must be accomplishing what I want it to everywhere!

As with herbal remedies mentioned above, I am finding it very difficult to put my love for and use of essential oils into a few words. I am sure I will find this to be true with every modality I have chosen to include in this article! I suspect this is why I keep writing books and teaching classes! Below I will mention, in abbreviated form, some of the information to be found on pages 3 through 8 of the book on essential oils that I wrote and have updated a time or two (Butterfly Miracles with Essential Oils).

Frequency: Every organ of the human body has a frequency range at which it operates when healthy; the human body has an overall bio-electrical frequency. During illness or with impending death, the body’s frequency drops significantly. Essential oils have frequency ranges that are several times greater than the frequency of herbs and food. The application of essential oils can quickly raise the body’s overall frequency or stabilize the frequency of a struggling organ.

Each essential oil (single) has a frequency range that is attractive or healing to particular organs, meridians, etc., in our bodies. In general, and this varies quite a bit, oils with lower frequencies are considered to make physical changes in the body; oils with midrange frequencies to effect emotional changes; high-frequency oils, nearly always “blossom” oils, bring about spiritual changes.
A well-done blend can contain oils in all three frequency ranges and can create a profound and deeply healing environment. Blends are less likely to cause a negative reaction because each individual oil is only a percentage of the whole, and sometimes only a very small percentage.

Anti-bacterial, etc: Essential oils are antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-infective, anti-tumoral, antiparasitic, and antiseptic. This is not a matter of some oils being one and other oils being another; all essential oils have these properties to one degree or another. Essential oils have been shown in laboratory studies and clinical trials to destroy or seriously inhibit tested bacteria and viruses and to do so without causing harm (unlike drugs) to cells, organs, tissues, or body systems.

Aromatic: Their small molecules are able to diffuse readily into the air and be absorbed into our bodies through our olfactory and respiratory systems. It is an interesting fact that although we may not be able to detect all of an oil’s fragrances because our nose has no receptor sites for particular molecules, all of the molecules can enter our systems through the nose. From the nose, they can go directly into the central brain, or they may go into the lungs and from there directly into the bloodstream.

Because of their small molecular structures, they purify the air in the following ways: removing metallic particles and toxins from the air, increasing ozone and negative ions which inhibit bacterial growth, destroying odors from mold, cigarettes, or animals, and filling the air with a fresh, beautiful, healing, and uplifting scent.

Apply Externally/Benefit Internally: Because of the molecular structure of essential oils, they can act on internal organs when applied externally to the body. Essential oils work through the skin on nearby organs, on the nervous system, and then throughout the entire body. Essential oils quickly penetrate the tissues of the skin, reaching the organs and joints.

Cell Regeneration: Most essential oils are cytophylactic; this means that they stimulate the generation of new cell growth following burns, surgeries, or wounds of any nature.

Increased Circulation: Essential oils are rubefacient, which means that they activate capillary circulation. Increased circulation to the capillaries prevents tired, achy legs and the slow healing experienced by diabetic people, as well as muscle tenseness and strain. Increased circulation also brings more oxygen and nutrients to the cells and more efficiently carries waste products away from the cells and tissues.

Oxygen and Nutrient Transport: Oxygen is the carrier of nutrition throughout the human body. Essential oils contain molecules that help transport nutrients to starving or undernourished cells. Disease begins when a cell lacks oxygen and available nutrients. By providing needed oxygen, essential oils strengthen every cell in the body, including those necessary to the immune system.

Homeostasis (Balance): Many essential oils are adaptogenic, meaning they will instigate a reaction in the body to bring about a state of balance. For example, Hyssop normalizes either high or low blood pressure; Peppermint is found on lists both as a stimulant and as a sedative, and this is accurate; Lemon acts on the nervous system either as a sedative or a tonic, as needed. This is true of the various plants in herbal form as well. Essential oils are simply stronger, and the effects are more immediately recognizable.

Blood-Brain Barrier: The blood/brain barrier is the membrane between the circulating blood and the brain that prevents certain damaging substances from reaching the brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds these delicate tissues. The blood-brain barrier, of necessity, must allow nutritive substances and oxygen to pass through this barrier and into the brain.

Some essential oils, those containing sesquiterpenes, cross the blood/brain barrier. Personal experience (with one of my accident-prone children and with another with learning disabilities) taught us that the ability of essential oils to carry oxygen and nutrients to the brain can be a great blessing when used for healing purposes!

I have been heard to say—and I assure you that I meant it every time—that if I could only have one of the many modalities that are a part of my life every day, that modality would be homeopathic remedies. Oh, I would miss my herbal remedies and my essential oils and the ‘hands-on’ work such as CranioSacral and Foot Zone, but nevertheless, it is my homeopathic remedies that have, over the years, saved more than a life or two around here!

Homeopathic theory and practice differ greatly from any other healing modality, past or present, in several very basic ways.

First, Do No Harm

Since the beginning of time, mankind has attempted to find methods to restore health and proper functioning of the body without doing harm. “First, do no harm’ is, supposedly, the most basic tenet of the Hippocratic Oath taken by every Doctor of Modern Medicine. Unfortunately—and I am very serious about this next statement—ALL drugs have side effects, as do all surgical procedures! Homeopathic/Blessed Water Remedies fit this criterion!

When Samuel Hahnemann (considered the father of homeopathic theory) created his first remedy according to homeopathic protocols, he showed us a way to heal without side effects. He and others like him illuminated the path to the utilization of the many diverse substances found on this earth, even very toxic ones, to bring about positive changes in health without the destruction of delicate tissues or negative effects on the mind or emotions.

The Energetic Body

Followers of homeopathic theory believe that every ailment of the physical body has its beginning in the vital energy of the body.

Interconnected Body Systems

Homeopathic theory also teaches that because the systems of the body are so interconnected by the vital energy, ailments cannot confine themselves to only one area of the body at a time. It is impossible to have just a pain in the head (or just a break in a bone) without having symptoms which range over many, if not all, of the systems of the body and into the emotions and mental processes.

A corollary of this understanding is that all substances utilized for healing purposes (or for any other purpose) also affect a variety of body systems and go into the energy itself to reestablish (or disrupt) health. Unfortunately, this is equally true of the side effects of allopathic medicines as it is for the healing capacities of energetic remedies such as homeopathics and Blessed Waters!

Like Cures Like (the Law of Similars)

The “law of similars” on which homeopathy is based states that when an imbalanced state (given a “disease” name in today’s parlance) exists, we should seek a remedy that would create the same symptoms of distress in a healthy body. Put very simply, the remedy brings that particular set of symptoms to the attention of the energy system (or immune function, if you prefer), which then focuses on the imbalance and handles it in the most efficient manner possible. The result is often the putting of the system to rights, instead of just masking the symptom without any re-balancing or correcting of the underlying problem. And, this ‘healing’ is accomplished without side-effects!

Choosing Remedies

Homeopathic remedies are studied and their effects recorded in this manner. When a test remedy is given, symptoms throughout the whole body and mind are observed. After many such ‘trials’, a description of the ‘symptom picture’ of the remedy is created. The remedy is then considered to be a healer and balancer of those particular symptoms. Homeopathic Materia Medicas list this symptoms in great detail. The best remedy for any person at any given time is the remedy that matches his ‘symptoms of discomfort and ill health’ the closest at the time.

Must a person have all of the symptoms listed? Absolutely not! If they did, they would be very, very sick indeed. Homeopathic remedies should be given at the first sign of illness. The first sign will often be emotional or mental. For example, as new parents, many of us realized early on that our child was ‘coming down with something’ long before physical symptoms such as fever could be seen.

‘All Substances’ Given Energetically Can Produce Healing!

This bit of homeopathic theory was a bit hard for me to get my mind around at first! However, it is absolutely true when dealing with energetic remedies such as Blessed Waters and Homeopathics!
One simple example: The remedy Vespa Crabro, which is made from wasp venom. As a younger person, I was extremely allergic to bee and wasp stings. I am talking anaphylactic shock allergic! Walking out of a bank in Logan one day, a bee or wasp flew up the wide leg of the pants I was wearing. I began to panic! Could I make it to an emergency room quickly enough? Could I convince them of the seriousness of the situation fast enough to do any good soon enough?

A car pulled into the driveway. A dear friend of mine got out! She had a bottle of Vespa Crabro homeopathic in her hand. She squirted some in my mouth and handed me the bottle in case I might need some later. All symptoms, early but heading for trouble (I had been in this mess before), began to subside! What symptoms? Inflammation of my eyes, dizziness, swelling in my legs but also beginning in my face, throat, tongue, and hands, pain in my kidney areas, and of course swelling and burning in my leg! Emotionally, and just as the ‘symptom picture’ indicated would happen, I was feeling a great deal of anxiety and panic! The early stages of anaphylactic shock!

The symptoms you just read about above are exactly the symptoms described for Vespa crabro in homeopathic Materia Medicas. And, you might have noticed, the symptoms created by bee and wasp stings are the beginning stages of anaphylactic shock!

How did my friend know to show up at that bank and with that remedy at that time? Well, that is my friend, Betty! And God is Good! And, as I said in paragraph one of this bit on Homeopathic/Blessed Waters, they can save lives! I assure you, this is not the only time I have seen these energetic remedies bring about miracles!

There is so much more that I wish I could tell you about this wonderful modality. When I teach homeopathy at Butterfly Expressions, LLC, I prefer to teach it in two parts. Part one is theory and the use of ‘low potency’ remedies. The second class is the use of higher-potency remedies! These are the ‘big guns’ and the remedies I would never want to be without! Ever! If any of you read this and are interested, please call Jenn at Butterfly Expressions and get your name on a list. If there is enough interest, I will happily schedule a class! A bonus to this class is that I will teach you how to make remedies from my stock and allow you to do so (in your own bottles, of course). On the other hand, I will, just as happily (almost) travel to your area if there are enough people around you interested in attending!

CranioSacral Therapy is a hands-on, very gentle, non-invasive approach to healing. This modality involves listening with the hands and, I believe, with the heart and the therapist’s entire being, if necessary—to the subtle energetic rhythms of the body. CranioSacral work focuses particularly on the energies of the cerebrospinal fluid, the fascia, the connective tissues, and the fluid in and around the cells and tissues.

The intent of such listening is to identify energetic patterns of tension or restriction in the fluid or rhythms of the body and note the inflammation that has resulted from these tensions and restrictions. Inflammation is a part of every chronic illness and so many other health concerns. CranioSacral therapists then strive to help their clients (and family members, whenever they get the opportunity) in the resolution of emotional or physical strain patterns that have been created by—or have created—these patterns.

One of the outstanding qualities of CranioSacral Therapy is that it is so gentle that it can be done as often as necessary until the desired results are obtained. Another outstanding characteristic of CranioSacral Therapy is that, with a little training and experience, this modality is a wonderful way to work with infants and small children.

All of the various CranioSacral modalities have the common purpose of encouraging the body’s own self-healing and self-regulating capabilities. It is my belief that the self-healing and self-regulating mechanisms of the body and mind are essentially spiritual and energetic in nature and that the physical body takes its instructions from these sources. QuintEssential CranioSacral Therapy is my adaptation of CranioSacral theory and techniques to the energy work I have been doing for many years. It complies with the principles of the healing energy work that has so blessed my life as well as fits comfortably within the principles of spiritual truth as I understand and try to live them.

To my way of thinking, much of what we experience as illness is the result of physical imbalances and/or emotional wounds lodged, energetically, in the cells and tissues of the body. These imbalances manifest throughout the energetic grid that underlays and delineates the physical body. I find that CranioSacral therapy is an excellent method for healing myself and for helping others heal from these uncomfortable and limiting conditions.

I have found that it matters little whether these imbalances were brought on by ourselves or the result of the actions of others. This emotional healing is one of the strengths of CranioSacral therapy!

The techniques of QuintEssential CranioSacral Therapy are essentially the same as traditional CranioSacral work but place great emphasis on the body’s energy fields. Traditional CranioSacral work (and, therefore, its spin-offs) are becoming increasingly accepted, even by traditional medicine, because they bring results! Interpreting and utilizing the basic techniques of Upledger, Milne, Sills, and others, and using what we know about energy work, the body, and healing is what QuintEssential CranioSacral is all about.

I am more than delighted to be teaching another 2-part QuintEssential CranioSacral Therapy class soon! I love teaching this modality! Dates for this class are September 21st through September 24th, with the second half being taught on October 19th through 21st.

A couple of stories, quickly: I damaged my tailbone in a swimming (actually a diving) accident in my early teens. Most of my childbirth experiences were wonderfully easy once I found a midwife who understood female anatomy well enough to both position me properly and use her hands to move the tailbone out of the way at the appropriate time. Work done on me during my own CranioSacral class learning experience fixed the problem permanently! Sciatic and hip pain went away!

Second story: As a result of a serious car accident, my daughter’s pelvic structure was badly rearranged (damaged)! Her next baby was born by C-section, and the remaining two were very difficult births. All three babies benefited a great deal from CranioSacral work! In fact, my personal belief–and it was my hands their little heads and bodies were cradled in at birth and worked with thereafter—is that CranioSacral work had a dramatic impact on both their physical, mental, and emotional well-being and impacted even the rest of their lives! CranioSacral work has also improved my daughter’s pelvic structure dramatically, as well.

It is my personal belief (and I must teach from where I stand to stay healthy and well myself) that all healing is under the personal direction of Heaven and conforms to certain principles of truth. Healing and my belief in God and my Savior go hand in hand. Chinese (or Eastern) medicine and religion are also very closely tied together, just as my feelings about healing are tied to my religious beliefs. Please understand that I am not preaching a differing religious philosophy or trying to convert you to anything contrary to your own religious beliefs.

Research in Western scientific labs speaks of “energy vortices” that are strikingly similar to the chakra system of Eastern philosophies. I have also seen research that quite nicely describes the Meridian System of TCM philosophy but using other, more acceptable to the Western mind, words. I began studying Chinese healing modalities many years ago because they had explanations for things I felt and saw that were lacking in more traditional anatomy books.

I find all this research fascinating because it is slowly mapping out the meridian system, the chakras, and other parts of energy anatomy as the Eastern healing philosophies drew them out centuries ago and as I have used them in energy work for quite a while now. It seems like a good idea to me to study from the experts of long-standing while keeping an eye on the new research that is going on at the same time.

For myself, I rarely find in Eastern philosophies anything that contradicts my own deeply held religious views; I find only places where the light of revealed truth could illuminate some “murky” areas in their philosophy and understanding.

For example, the idea of reincarnation is a part of many philosophies. I consider this idea to be nothing more than the best explanation they have for the sure knowledge that there is something both before and after this life’s experiences. I find nothing offensive about their differing understanding of this topic, nor do I consider that this perception invalidates other truths that they have managed to pass down from generation to generation. On the other hand, I am often appalled to the depths of my soul by some of the things that are common practice in the Western medical world (such as the giving of mind-altering, psychotropic drugs to children when improved nutrition and understanding of energy would be more helpful and, certainly, less harmful).

I want to mention, here, as we begin our discussion of Meridians and Chakras, that Butterfly Express, LLC carries a line of homeopathics created for balancing and lending strength to the meridians and chakras. I also use essential oils to balance both the meridians and the chakras, as well as when working with Accupressure Points, which will be discussed last in this article.

Meridians

Chinese medicine concerns itself mostly with the subtle energy of the body, rather than with material structures as does Western medicine. It is not so much that one philosophy is right and the other wrong; there is much of good, many times, in Western surgical procedures. I have a grandson who likely would not have survived without the skill and knowledge of medical personnel. In a perfect world, these two differing modalities would walk hand in hand and complement each other.

Meridians (sometimes called “elements, “channels,” or “vessels”) are the term we will use to describe the overall energy distribution system of the body. I like to think of them as energy veins. These meridians are the pathways by which Chi (vital energy) moves through the body. It must be understood, however, that energy can—and frequently does—move between these meridians directly through the cells themselves, and energy moves back and forth among the chakras also. Chakras will be discussed briefly in a moment.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) groups the 12 major meridians into pairs—with one Yin Meridian and one Yang Meridian grouped together—and then into 5 basic elements as illustrated here. This leaves the Central and Governing Meridian out on their own and places 4 meridians at the apex in the ‘Fire’ element. I follow this traditional numbering system.

The following chart may help you visualize what I just said.

Each meridian pair is associated with a season and physical, mental, and emotional characteristics. These lists of characteristics have been put together from the observation of nature and human nature over the centuries.

Most of us seem to live quite strongly within one rhythm or season, while being greatly influenced by the seasons preceding and following it. Our own rhythm is made up of our primary rhythm and a unique combination of the abundance or depletion of the qualities of the others.

Each meridian has a time period in the 24-hour cycle where it is in an ascendant cycle or healing period. Although we seem to live out our lives in one particular rhythm or blend of rhythms, we also move through all five of the seasons many times during the cycles that make up a lifetime. Both your core rhythm and the season through which you are passing at the time profoundly influence the way you respond to the world.

One example of the above concept: Your core personality illustrates the strengths and weaknesses of the meridian that is strongest in you. This core personality will affect the way you respond to such life events as being newly wed, or being newly pregnant, or being a new mother. It will also impact, later in life, the way you respond to aging or losing your spouse in death. They are the same events for everyone, but our response to them, while having some commonalities, will be unique to each of us.

Understanding your rhythms can help you to understand your vulnerabilities. Each rhythm is prone to certain types of imbalances and can be brought back into balance most quickly in certain ways.

I cannot possibly teach all of you this very sensible and, for me at least, very helpful philosophy here. But I can assure you that understanding Meridians and Chakra and which of my children (and myself) was living our lives where was more helpful than you can imagine. This deeply thought-out philosophy also communicates how each sort of person views the world and reacts to those around them. It made it easier for me to understand myself, my husband, and the ways in which each of my children views and reacts (and still often do) to certain situations!

TCM is not a different religion (as I once was accused of teaching)! It is simply a profound, and quite realistic way of understanding our bodies and human nature in general.

A gentle word of warning here: If you choose, or have chosen, to pursue more knowledge about Meridians and Chakras (and TCM in general), please use the information to understand yourself (for the most part) and how you relate and respond to other people and to particular situations. If applied incorrectly, without love and compassion, analyzing people in this way can be just another form of judgement. There is a fine line here between understanding and “nosiness” and, if your heart is not right, the information gained can lead you into controlling or manipulative behavior that can damage or destroy relationships.

The preceding pages are meant to be a very basic overview. This is a subtle and deep subject. It has taken me years to think in this way and to begin to fit the pieces together—even just to the extent that I have done. One of my favorite books on this topic is titled Chinese Medicine in Everyday Life—Wood Becomes Water by Gail Reichstein. I hope it is still in print and available!

Chakras

The seven major chakra centers (and the dozens of minor ones) are a part of some Eastern philosophies and not others. However, I find it difficult to comprehend energy and personality without them, so I have spent a considerable amount of time studying this part of Eastern healing philosophy.

Chakras, many groups of healers agree, are energy centers that seem to exist on all levels of our energy bodies and that they communicate directly with the cellular structure of the physical body. They can be compared to energy transformers because they seem to be one of the means by which the higher energy frequencies of our spiritual, mental, or emotional selves communicate with the lower frequency levels of the physical body.

Each major chakra seems to be associated with a particular gland of the endocrine system, thus having a great impact on hormonal levels and fluctuations in the function of the glands.

It has been clearly demonstrated for many, many years that certain thought processes and emotional reactions are associated with particular chakras. Imbalances in the chakras, or the energy flow between them, can eventually result in physical and/or mental illness just as imbalances and blockages in energy flow in the meridians do.

Some Eastern modalities claim that the upper chakras concern themselves with spiritual matters, while the lower chakras are more animalistic. I think this is an oversimplification and rather serious misunderstanding! The Root and Base chakras (lower pelvis)—particularly in a birth setting or a deeply committed and loving marriage—have all the best of spiritual characteristics!

Archetypes are simply descriptions of the basic types of human personalities and represent particular, fixed patterns of human behavior—demonstrated repeatedly throughout the ages. Some interesting recent (many years ago now) work has linked basic archetypes to the seven major chakras and illustrates the positive and negative qualities in all of us.

Since we each possess all of the chakras, we also possess all the qualities, both positive and negative, of them all. Since, at this time and in this world, we are not often perfectly in harmony, we display both the virtues and the vices of all the chakras/archetypes. Studied and understood, they can help us identify imbalances and how they are affecting us in emotional, spiritual, and physical ways. The study of chakra energy is like holding up a mirror to view our souls and help us in our journey toward balance and perfection—much like, only on a deeper level, learning about the meridians does.

The most powerful way to open, activate, energize, and balance all of our chakras and keep our bodies and minds in a healthy condition is to love ourselves and others unconditionally, and strive to build a deep well of gratitude and faith into our natures. This may not appear to be a very significant or scientific technique, but it works! Love is the vitalizing, nourishing, sustaining electricity of life. As you come to love and accept yourself, and then extend this love to all others, your body/mind system will come to vibrant life!! Scripture thought: What is the greatest commandment and the one like unto it? “Love the Lord, thy God” and “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” A bit of counsel: love both your neighbor and yourself!

A favorite book of mine on the subject of chakras is Wheels of Life—A User’s Guide to the Chakra System by Anodea Judith

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and the Meridians that are basic to that philosophy are discussed earlier in this article. Acupuncture/Acupressure points are based on that philosophy. The points used in both Acupuncture and Acupressure are found at special points along the meridian lines.

During Acupuncture treatments, thin needles are placed into specific points along these meridians to accomplish certain healing tasks. Studies conducted by various universities have shown that acupuncture is effective for many conditions, both physical and emotional/mental.

I love the basic philosophy behind Acupuncture (and most of TCM in general, also discussed earlier). The four ‘Golden Rules’ associated with classical acupuncture as well as with traditional lifestyle wisdom are:

1.  Eat only when hungry: Avoid eating out of habit or emotion! Eating ‘regularly’ keeps the digestive system running well.
2.  Drink only when thirsty: Honor the body’s natural hydration signals. Some of us, due to the overconsumption of the wrong kinds of fluids (soda pop and sugary drinks), either no longer produce these signals or have long since learned to ignore them. The solution: Drink water and only water at regular intervals until the body resets itself.
3.  Take rest when tired: Learn to pause a moment (or two or three) when mentally or physically weary instead of pushing through that legitimate body signal. The result will be more energy, a clearer mind, and better overall health.
4.  Align yourself and your daily schedule with natural circadian rhythms as much as possible. Your circadian rhythm is your body’s natural 24-hour internal clock. This internal clock is a natural function running in the background of your brain all the time (if not upset by caffeine and other stimulants!) This rhythm knows what is best for your body as far as when to sleep, when to wake up, and when to eat is concerned.

Using Essential Oils When Holding These Points!

The effectiveness of these points (and the length of time a person needs to hold them for effectiveness) can be multiplied exponentially when using essential oils on the tips of your fingers when holding them. Which oils to use? That depends on whether the ‘underlying problem’ is physical or emotional! Physical issues: my favorites are ^LeMillenia, ^LeTendaCare, ^LePatches, ^LeRevitalize, or ^LeDeeper. Emotionally, ^LeHeartSong, ^LeSolace, ^LeSolitude (I am always in need of Solitude—both the oil and the physical space), ^LeAngel, ^LeAssurance, ^LeBelieve, ^LeBeloved, ^LeCherish, ^LeFaith, ^LeFortitude, ^LeInner Peace, ^LeKey to My Heart, ^LeQuiet Essence, and ^LeWisdom.

As you can see from the above list, there are as many possible emotional drivers as there are clients. It is likely (hopefully) that you will find favorites of your own and that each client will have a favorite or two of their own that is best chosen or ‘muscle-tested’ for them!

I love these points and have just made a firm commitment with myself to get back to using them on myself and my husband more regularly!

I am a bit hesitant to use this newsletter to promote the classes that I so love to teach. AND I will be 75 years old before this year finishes playing out! (My parents still had many good years after this point, however.) If you are interested, please see the list of possible classes at Butterfly Expressions.

We schedule classes according to interest. If there is a class that interests you, please call Jenn at Butterfly Express, LLC and get your name on the list for that class. When there has been sufficient interest in a class, one will be scheduled. Obviously, if you get several of your friends, acquaintances, and/or clients to call when you do, a class will be scheduled much more quickly. And you will have friends to travel with! Butterfly has many spare rooms and a kitchen set aside for class members who travel (and just for those who like to ‘play’ in the evenings with class friends!)

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