The Balance Point

Hi Everyone,

I am finally able to write this BLOG entry, which I have been waiting to write for quite some time.   We have had very high winds for several weeks, and high winds effect our new internet connection, as we are learning.  I believe in perfect timing, so here we are.

I would like to spend some time on the balance point for vibrant health, physical regeneration, and ascension.  Most of you have been on the adaptogenic tonics now for months or even over a year.  During this time, if you are consistently taking your tonics daily, your body is very gradually rebuilding its cellular foundation.  The herbs we use in these tonics contain advanced biochemical nutrition that is simply NOT AVAILABLE from our food system, no matter how great we think our diet may be.  These herbs carry a density and unique combination of herbal nutrition that can regenerate our body and energy system completely, over time.

Now what happens when you reach a ceiling with the tonic herbs?  Some of you have undoubtedly already experienced this--a feeling that they have "lost their punch", that they are no longer having a healing and building effect on your body.

When this happens, it is your body's signal that you need to change directions, and recreate the balance point for your body's healing or regenerative process.  Here is what I mean by this.

The adaptogenic tonics have a "rebuilding" action, nutritive and healing to the organs and systems.  They are the mainstay of the herbalist's program to regenerate, and to maintain a vibrant state of health.  The balancing action for this, is provided in the "cleansing" tonic--a tonic made of herbs that initiate and support the body's natural cleansing processes.

When we come to a ceiling point with the tonic herbs, it is the body's signal to begin a cleanse. Ordinarily this is best accomplished during the warm months of Summer, and the energy flows of Autumn, but it can be done any time of year if it is necessary.

Specifically, I want to talk about parasite cleansing.

Parasite infestation is so much a part of our human condition that many healers begin every client's healing program with a 30 or 90 day parasite cleanse.  (I tend to begin with rebuilding formulas first for some people, and parasite cleanses first for others, depending on the person's medical history, drug history, and other factors).

Herbal adaptogenic tonics will build the body's system to the point where it can expel parasites effectively.  I find that many people are actually so depleted (even and especially those who are overweight, with underlying nutritional depletion), that their body actually needs to rebuild for awhile before the parasite cleansing will be effective.

Just so begin to get an idea of how widespread this condition is, here is a list of the most common parasites in the general population.

Roundworms
There are many different species of roundworms.  It is estimated that 25% of the world's human population has this parasite.  The infection begins when eggs are inhaled or ingested on fruit or vegetables that have been grown in infested soil.  One female worm can release 200,000 eggs per day, and each roundworm goes through several developmental phases that cause it to migrate from the digestive tract through the blood, lymph, lungs, and liver.  In the adult phase, roundworms have been known to migrate into the eyes, brain, ears, and other organs and tissues, causing tissue damage.  These worms consume a large amount of food and produce a large amount of excrement in the system, including a protein that can cause the host to become allergic to many foods and substances.
Symptoms of roundworm infestation are:

• Grinding teeth at night
• Allergies
• Intestinal gas and bloating
• Asthma
• Snoring
• Anemia
• Restlessness
• Weight gain around the full moon
• Any type of digestive issues
• Coughing or clearing the throat
• Post nasal drip
• Sinus irritation
• Headaches
• Cravings
• Blood sugar imbalance

Hookworms

Hookworms are most common in mild climates, but can be contracted in any part of the country.  Hookworms are contracted by walking barefoot or digging in infected soil; or eating vegetables or fruits from infected soil.  In the adult phase of their life cycle, hookworms attach themselves to the walls of the intestine and drink significant amounts of blood.  Once established, a worm may lay 30,000 eggs daily.  Symptoms are very slow to develop and be recognized; people gradually become less energetic, listless, mentally slow, weak, lazy, and anemic.

Symptoms of hookworm infestation include:

• Malnourishment
• Low energy
• Chronic fatigue
• Anemia
• Losing passion and excitement for life
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Indigestion
• Diarrhea
• Food cravings
• Substance cravings/addictions

Pinworms

There are many species of pinworm, and it is the most common roundworm infestation in the USA.  It is common to all socioeconomic groups and both cold and warm climates.  It is very contagious, and if one family member is infected, usually the whole family is infected.  The adult worms live in the cecum and areas of the large and small intestine.  The worms are very tiny, from 2 to 10 millimeters in length.  Female worms crawl down the intestine and out of the anus to lay their eggs.  One female may lay between 5,000 and 15,000 eggs daily.  After a few hours, the eggs can infect other people.  They are very light and can be carried by the air, or transferred through sheets, clothing, carpets, etc.  Female worms may crawl into the vaginal canal and create itching and irritation. Worms may migrate to other organs and blood vessels throughout the body, causing extensive damage.

Symptoms of pinworm infestation include:  

• Itching sensation around the anus, sometimes worse at night
• Vaginal itching or irritation
• Nervousness
• Insomnia, sleep disturbances
• General irritability
• Heart palpitations, irregular heartbeat
• Weak vision
• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Food poisoning symptoms
• Toxic low grade infection
• Diarrhea
• Swelling of tissues
• Kidney damage
• Lung damage
• Heart damage
• Damage to muscle fibers
• Brain damage
• Thyroid damage
• Organ damage of all kinds

I will continue this discussion and address the wonderful herbal options that can help us reclaim our space suits and our health, in the next few days.    

In Gratitude,

Kathryn

Herbal Wisdom

First I would like to say hi again to everyone who has committed to using the tonics for a year. I am unable to hold an online meeting at this time, due to an upgrade that we are creating for our communications system. At this time, we are undergoing a transition into using cell phone technology to replace our satellite internet connection. I expect this transition to be complete sometime in May, so watch for an Herbal Tonic Class online after that.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to share with a man who was visiting our home, helping us to figure out the location of a cell phone antenna that we will be installing. He has expressed an interest in herbal healing in the past, and his family has numerous health issues that regular medicine has not been able to assist.

A very good question that he asked me is, (and people often want to know this), "Is there any difference in using a drug (such as aspirin), and using the willow bark that aspirin is derived from?".

There are two answers to this question. The first, is that it is nearly impossible to compare any whole plant substance that is created by Nature, with a pharmaceutical derivative. It is like comparing a Porsche to a bicycle.

Plants' medicinal properties are found in the essential oils produced in special glands of the plants' cellular structure. These glands are microscopic, although in some cases the oils are stored in a gland or capsule that is visible to the eye, such as in the case of this Bolivian coriander leaf, above.

When scientists analyze essential oils, they typically find between 200 and thousands of phytochemical constituents. Though scientists usually decide that one or two of these constituents is the "active Ingredient", and the others are just unnecessary by-products. This way of thinking is completely backwards to those who work consciously with plant medicines.

In our way of thinking, every tiny trace mineral and constituent is important, and contributes to the wholeness of the herb's healing properties. We seek to refine the herbs at very low temperatures, and in such a way as to preserve the integrity and innate wisdom of Nature's creation.

As we work with these consciously created gifts, we develop a greater sensitivity to the spirit or consciousness behind them, and great insights come as to the wholistic picture of our health, our lives, and the causal patterns which effect us. Our view becomes more and more whole, and we evolve to create deeper connections between the causes in our lives and the results we are experiencing.

Pharmaceutical derivatives from plant medicines are based in a whole different way of thinking. One, they are made of one or a few substances, refined from the plant medicine (or produced artificially in a laboratory), the substances that have been identified as the "active ingredients". All of the balancing and complimentary phytochemicals are removed.

This creates a challenge for our bodies in that it removes the balancing factors that keep our bodies stable through the healing process. Once refined to the point of containing only one ingredient, there is only one action available in that medicine.

Now it becomes very necessary to use careful dosages, and watch for side effects, because the balancing factors are not available. One chemical in large doses can be studied, and percentages can be applied to the effects it has on a regular basis. In this case we have a way to measure what it will do for a large percentage of the population. It may succeed in suppressing a symptom, but what will result from this later on?

A whole plant medicine, containing over 200 constituents which change and vary with every season that it is produced-- based on weather conditions and other natural factors-- is impossible to study. There is no way that science can take into account all of the factors and come up with a common effect.

In fact, this is why herbalists vary so much on how to use herbs as medicine, and which plants treat which conditions. Many herbs contain the same main ingredients, but their unique combinations and trace constituents will work better for one person than for another. It is a highly intuitive practice.

Blessings for your own path of learning directly from the plant world,

Kathryn

Since beginning the tonics, I've been eating much more mindfully. I have a different perspective on what I choose to put in my body. The tonics have really set a high bar for the frequency of foods I ingest. Low grade diet just doesn't feel good. Its a marked difference in frequency. Much more perceptable now. I ran out of tonic for a bit recently, and the first day without it I was extra hungry and couldn't seem to find the food to fill the void. This showed me the unique nutritional benefits received from the tonics that my body really craves. Many Gratitudes
~Cara

Follow-up to yesterday's online workshop

Hi everyone,
Yesterday we had a very good online workshop that left me feeling inspired for all you are all doing and the commitment you each have made to yourselves. Very early in the morning I was awakened with a realization that there were perhaps a few people who needed a reminder after all we discussed yesterday, in regards to the discernment of who is a good candidate for these tonics and who is not.

Unfortunately we are not ALL candidates for taking Chinese Tonic herbs. This leaves a lot of people who may be on chemotherapy; taking drugs like coumadin, lupron, zoladex, avastin, tamoxifen, etc; pregnant; allergic to herbs; or for other reasons, can not take tonic herbs.

This does not mean that you have no tools to help these people! As a healer, you can effectively help any human being on the planet when you know how to work with plant medicines. These people are the best candidate for using vibrational remedies, flower essences, and homeopathically prepared essential oil remedies.

Most of you have a copy of my book, Aromatherapy Guide for Ascension, in which you will find the directions for making a homeopathic remedy. These remedies can help people in any condition improve their well-being, comfort level, and quality of life.

I am going to share a story about one individual with whom Michael and I had the gift of sharing plant medicines. He had been on Lupron, a drug that suppresses or slows the growth of prostate cancer. It is basically a drug to make life more comfortable, as most people that take it do not live beyond a few years.

When we first began to share with Weston (not his real name), we helped him change his diet so he was nourishing his body in a whole new way. He wanted to dive in and change everything, and being the healer I am, I am always so excited to push the limits, that I agreed to let him try an herbal tonic and see how he does on it. The tonic I gave him was the sort that I have given others who came to me to heal cancer without drugs; a combination of cleansing and rebuilding herbs, with several of the master herbs for cancer treatment. (I had no previous experience with lupron, so even though I knew what it did in the body, I did not know how it would work with the herbs.)

Next time I saw Weston, he told me that he could not take the herbal tonic. His body was so strong that it went immediately into a cleanse after just a few doses. He began to vomit, which is exactly what happens when the liver and gall bladder begin to dump toxicity faster than the eliminative organs can expel it. He went into detox, but was so uncomfortable that he could not complete the process. I do not blame him at all, as who wants to go through that? (Funny that we all expect that sort of withdrawal experience from heroine addiction or extreme alcoholism, but we never consider that the liver does the same thing when we go through pharmaceutical drug cleansing!).

Weston went on with life, eating a whole new diet, and believing that plant medicines could no longer work for him. Then one day I suggested flower essences to support his healing process, and he heard me. He took flower essences every day for many months, gradually resolving the fears and energy blockages that had been keeping him emotionally uncomfortable.

Weston has gone on with life, using the form of plant medicines that work for him. He has now been on lupron for over 8 years, has also had radiation, and is still living a joyful and productive life--being a Grandpa, husband, and father, gardening every summer, and just enjoying his life. My point is this: We are all here to play a different role--not everyone is here to heal the physical body in this lifetime. It is a choice that we make, and continue to commit to over and over again throughout life. And every role can include its own form of healing--every choice is valid. There are plant medicine tools to support every level of consciousness and every possible choice--to bring comfort, well-being, balance, and inner peace. This is the conscious purpose behind the gifts of the plant medicines.

I also wanted to offer a really great little insight that came today about He shou wu. Yesterday in the workshop, we talked about He shou wu and its regenerative properties for kidneys and adrenals. So many of us identified how wonderful this herb would be for us on a regular basis, and i kept thinking about how the Chinese masters talked about the tonic herbs being a food instead of a medicine.

This morning, I walked into my "new" kitchen area with the beautiful shelves filled with glass jars of herbs and spices, and I realized that I can tune in to a different channel more easily when I look at these herbs in my space. I tuned in and out came 3 really delicious ways to integrate He shou wu as a food into our diet. It involves making a powder out of the herb, blending it with other ingredients, and putting it in a shaker bottle to sprinkle on our food.

Michael and I sampled two of these with breakfast this morning, and I must say they are delicious! Here are the recipes for everyone to try--remember to use only dried He shou wu that has been properly prepared by cooking with black beans.

He Shou Wu Shake
Blend on high in the blender or vita-mix:
1/4 cup he shou wu
2 t. alaea salt or other natural salt
1/4 cup dried wakami seaweed
3 T. black sesame seeds

Cumin He Shou Wu
Blend on high in the blender or vita-mix:
1/4 cup he shou wu
2 t. alaea salt or other natural salt
1/4 cup cumin seeds

Balti He Shou Wu
Blend on high in the blender or vita-mix:
1/4 cup he shou wu
2 t. alaea salt or other natural salt
4 to 5 t. Penzey's Balti curry blend

Use these to sprinkle over foods in place of salt or other spices. You will love the way they taste--and the nourshiment they bring!

Many blessings to all! Kathryn

Happy 2012!

Some of us had our class with Kathryn today, and I realized I had not been on the Blog for quite some time. I found myself catching up on all the sharing. Thank you for keeping this going...

I wanted to share that I have been feeling quite different since the New Year arrived. Deep in my soul I can feel the shift that is going on within and around our world, within and between our souls, within and around the person that I AM. My soul has never been so excited for the upcoming year! While I have no idea what is to come - I just know it is going to be absolutely fabulous!

Am I feeling this because of the tonics? The colonics? The Flower Essences, Essential Oils and High Frequency foods? I feel that the answer is a resounding Yes! to all of the above. I AM so Great-Full for Each & Every one of you for being such a beautiful light in my life. I AM Thank-full for Kathryn and her beautiful teachings, and for Michael and all his Wisdom. I AM Excited to be Alive! and to be a Part of this wonderful Journey on Mother Earth.

Aho,

ThunderHeart

aka Asheera

Blessed healer companions

Dear Ones,

I woke up this morning thinking about you and how each of you has touched me and been a blessing in my life. Thank you!!! I wish you all a beautiful season of Light with your families, friends and all life.

with love,
Liz

Busy, Busy, Busy....

I just wanted to check in with all of you.  It's a busy time of year for me, and I am sure many of you.  I wanted to say that although Kathryn said that it may take some time to notice a difference with these tonics, I notice.  I ran out of my tonic and had to go two days before making the next and I can feel a huge difference in my mind, body and spirit.  I am so grateful for the knowledge of creating them as I do not want to go another day without.  It's truly food for life.

Love and gratitude,
Michelle