.

Uterine environment affects generational obstacles

2010-10-26T03:58:00.000-07:00

There is a modern revival in gestational uterine health. No one should be surprised by this current interest but take some time to really notice what is going on around us. Have you noticed that often obese women will give birth to 5 lb. babies and 120 lb. women will give birth to 8 lb. babies?! We know for sure, it is not how much you eat but what you eat and how well it is digested. Birth weight is an indication of the mother’s gestational nutrition. If an obese women stays away from caffeine and alcohol during pregnancy but eats horribly processed foods so far removed from the soil it will never even decompose, what is the point of abstinence?

It just comes from ignorance. Each of us is working with our own limitations and varying degrees of ignorance. Nicholas Kristof impressively elucidates our current state of uterine affairs in his NY Times Opinion column from Oct. 3, 2010, “At Risk From the Womb”. He reveals to us that “our uterine environment before we’re even born” is just as important as genetics and environment. He goes on to say that a “stressful uterine environment may be a mechanism that allows poverty to replicate itself generation after generation.....kids facing stresses before birth appear to have lower educational attainment, lower incomes and worse health throughout their lives”. (www.nytimes.com)

The book that every couple trying to conceive must read is “Origins: How the Nine Months Before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives”. What it boils down to is that chemicals in our environment (everything from our hair and body products, to lawn sprays to toxic releases from factories, etc.), emotional stress and junk food have an impact on the future of your child. So please be aware of every movie you watch, every novel you read and everything you listen to, in addition to everything you eat, pray and love!

Thank you and may we honor our future generations of which we are responsible for!

PMS=Pretty Much Sane

2010-08-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed how everything that surfaces during your PMS time of the month is actually buried truths you have not had the courage, or energy, to express??? I know it's shocking to the men out that receiving that truth, or anyone else who is on the receiving end of this lovely hormonal shift. Ladies, pay attention to every feeling you have during this time of PMS and one way or the other, express it! You can paint it, you can shout it or you can write it! How you get it out is not as important as getting it out! Based on my experience, it seems that breast cancer is linked to repressed anger. Anger is not actually that different from any other emotion. The concern is when it is chronically repressed and either expresses itself as rage or as disease. So please, please, please, improve your health by releasing all your feelings!

Treatment for IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)???

2010-08-21T05:51:00.000-07:00

After I founded Happy Uterus Consulting, I began to focus mainly on abdominal, reproductive and digestive health! This specialization really allowed me to go more deeply into these areas of concern and attract people who needed help with these symptoms. What I found is that IBS is a very common diagnosis and there is not a lot of help out there.

First, the most comprehensive resource I have found is www.helpforibs.com. The founder of the company was diagnosed with IBS and as a result, created a wonderful product line to help eliminate the symptoms of IBS. I was introduced to them by a client who used just one product, the Acacia Fiber powder, and with that eliminated her symptoms 100%!

Second, learning the power of deep relaxation I think is very important. Since our gut is ruled by your enteric nervous system, which obviously is part of our nervous system, learning to eliminate anxiety is very important. I realize that this is not as easy as it sounds but it is well wort the effort. I recently was given the book, Yoga: the way to long life and happiness by Desmond Dunne which was printed in 1953. It is a little gem of ancient wisdom and he has entire chapter dedicated to Deep Relaxation. Desmond encourages us all to study these rules: 1. You must first want to relax, 2. You must realize that it is not a newfangled craze but an age-old and sensible practice, 3. You must practice it in regular intervals and lastly 4. you must understand that Deep relaxation can not be forced! Definitely worth finding this book and reading if only, this one chapter.

Thirdly, master knowing the difference between soluble and insoluble fiber and what you can eat when. From what I have gathered, it's not what you are eating that is the most essential, but what you are eating WHEN!! You have to prepare you gut for certain kinds of fiber.

Between the resources of Help for IBS, which includes fennel tea, peppermint oil capsules and the Acaia Fiber powder, anyone with this diagnosis of IBS, or even anyone who lives with these symptoms of IBS, will greatly benefit from these simple tools!

How to reduce sugar and flour cravings???

2010-08-20T07:54:00.000-07:00

HU Consulting gets a lot of questions from women on the path to improving their health. IN my clinic, Life Source Acupuncture, I also get a lot of very good questions so I've decided to answer them in my blog so everyone can benefit. As an interviewer, I absolutely love questions and always pay attention to the good ones that come along! So thank you to everyone for asking.

This question about reducing sugar and flour cravings comes from a 48 year- old scorpio woman who takes medication for high blood pressure. Here is my response:

IN Chinese medicine, every organ/meridian is associated with a flavor. The flavor of sweet is the spleen. Our spleen is closely involved with our thinking, our exercise, everything that we eat and the production of blood. One can assume that if your blood pressure is high, chances are your mental energy is also high. In Chinese language, the character for heart and mind are the same: xin. Who is to say exactly which came first? A racing heart or a racing mind but chances are, it was the racing mind. So, in mind, body and energy medicine we have to begin strengthening our spleen, which will reduce our sugar cravings, by taming the mind. The best way to tame your mind is to begin a practice of meditation. Meditation is all about creating the awareness and space to watch your thoughts without really getting involved with them.

Secondly, what you eat will have a direct impact on your spleen. For a quick antedote to sugar cravings, try sour. Instead of eating a cookie, try squeezing lemon into water and watch your cravings for sugar dissolve. And let's remember, not all sugars are created equal. There is a huge difference between eating a naturally sweetened raw cacao (chocolate) bar and a hershey's kiss. The main difference being that it is very difficult to eat 5 raw chocolate bars in a row and very easy to eat any 5 hershey's bars in a row. When you eat processed sugar, it amps up your spleen and sets you up for the craving of more!

Thirdly, let yourself indulge in the good sweets and carbs instead of taking the complete deprivation approach! Living a deprived life will only set you up for failure. The world of raw desserts is endless and completely fulfilling.

Lastly, if you think you may be craving sweets and flour due to a systemic fungal or yeast infection, then your cravings are based on feeding the yeast. It is imperative to treat yourself for this and the best way that I know is the Body Ecology Diet. When you are on this diet, your cravings will naturally subside and your energy will return so quickly you will be amazed. www.bodyecologydiet.com

Thigh Master for the Vagina???

2010-06-19T07:07:00.000-07:00

While developing the Happy Uterus product line, I came across this ingenious devise called the "Magic Banana". Developed by a Canadian woman, JP Rayne, she has gifted us with something that can be part of our daily, weekly or monthly internal HU practice. She she says in the brochure that comes with this, "practice with the MB strengthens muscles that are at the very core of our experience as women".

Developing a vaginal strengthening practice can:
• Reduce cramping during menstruation by helping to ease tension knots and move energy throughout your pelvis
• Enhance muscle control which not only enhances sexual enjoyment but helps prevent incontinence. Working out with the MB can help bring tone to the inner vaginal muscles and can help isolate the correct muscles to bring back the vitality you need for good control in this area. The MB can facilitate traditional kegel exercises which primarily work the PC (pubococcygeus muscle).
• Increase your sexual vitality which cures all ailments. Ever notice how when you fall in love and start making love, all your symptoms disappear and your immune system is powerful?
Regular practice with the MB increases blood flow to the lower chakras which benefits your uterine health and improves sexual desire, the source of creativity!
• The MB can also be used as a wand, or tool, for applying remedies to your cervix. If you are having an inflammatory response in your cervical area, you may want to apply aloe vera gel, plain yogurt, or honey right within yourself. The MB can facilitate this for you! (see CERVICAL blog post for more on the cervix, or visit the wise woman www.susunweed.com)

So invest in yourself today ladies and purchase something that will benefit your health for the rest of your life! For more information, and to purchase a MB, visit www.happyuterus.com and visit www.magicbanana.com for information about the inventress of this thigh master for the vagina!

Awakening: How can a goddess help us?

2010-06-17T05:27:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I have a goddess practice. In this time of new-age-ness, the goddess is everywhere. And that's great. Unfortunately for me, it pushes my buttons of "this is really superficial". It seems to be wonderful for everyone else involved so that is great.

One of my personal favorites is Tara. And, for anyone living in CNY, I will be teaching a course on Tara for children enrolled in the Dharma Kids program at the Zen Center of Syracuse (www.zencenterofsyracuse.org). Tara is considered the "mother of all Buddhas" and became a Buddha in female form. All of her friends at that time in Tibet, tried to convince her she would be a better Buddha if she were a man, and she refused! She committed herself to complete enlightenment in female form. She functions as a savioress and supreme protectress. In Celestial Gallery by Romio Shrestha, he says, "The qualities of White Tara are ultimately inseparable from our own. Awakening is not a solipsistic retreat from unwanted realities, but a reaching outward to embrace the world with infinite compassion. If we see through to Tara's essence, she frees us from self-serving thoughts and encourages us to act selflessly, and wisely, for the benefit of all beings: the surest prescription for a long and fulfilling life".

I have to say based on personal experience that the practice of relying on Tara is amazing. Take yesterday, for example. I was having a very difficult time managing the schedule of running a small, growing business but is often jilted due to time constraints and parenting. School is over, wait-listed for camp, and the list goes on and on. I react to emails coming my way, not in a complete gripping manner but enough so that I actually later regret words coming out on the page. In light of this, I arrive at my daily sadhana (practice) and find myself in front of of Tara: great protectress, guide and just happens to be utterly sensuous and ravishing! (wouldn't it be great if someone called YOU that?! it must be our goal ladies: wise and ravishing). Within moments, my edges of frustration are melted, I step into the deep expanse of limitless love and compassion and I'm changed! Wheew! It's a total compassion battery re-charge.

So I encourage myself daily to "open seven eyes, like Tara, and be sure that everything you do, every step you take, every thought you think, is fueled by compassion. You will then be inseparable from White Tara, the embodiment of pure love". Thank you Romio Shreshtha for that quote and compiling this wonderful book!

For more information regarding Tara, and to find Gelek Rimpoches book, "The Tara Book", please visit www.jewelheart.org.

"LIG" it baby!

2010-06-14T06:35:00.000-07:00

Has anyone ever told you to "LIG" something??? As in, "Let it GO?". If not, they probably should have. "Let it go" is something we hear all the time and can apply to everything. It can be felt as a quick way to sweep something away, get it off the agenda and most likely, create time for something that avoids any sort of conflict.

The mere act of "holding on" is what the whole conflict is about anyhow! If we were to have one goal in life, it should be to "LIG". LIG EVERYTHING!! is there anything worth holding on to? Of course not. If you want to engage yourself in complete emotional freedom, let go of every thought, every idea, every feeling, every memory and especially, the concept of letting go.

So, what do you do when the issue that you've just "LIGGED" comes up again? Do you feel guilty because it's there? Do you feel like a failure because your mental exorcism didn't actually include the emotional realm and now it's manifesting as a feeling? How about if you start dreaming about this wonderfully LIGGED issue, have you somehow let yourself down?

Here are some questions that may be helpful in your path to LIG freedom:
1. How do you hold on to something?
2. Where do you actually hold it?
3. Where do your thoughts come from??
4. Once you recognize that you are holding on to something, can you describe the real feeling that surrounds that holding?
5. Byron Katies askes, "Who would you be without holding on to that"?
6. Before that, she would as, "Is it true"?, "is it REALLY true"? whatever you've decided to hold on to (i.e, she doesn't love me....is that TRUE?).

Mostly, everything we tell ourselves is NOT true and we perpetuate because we're used to living a somewhat tortured life! I've been encouraging my 5 year old to try and describe more clearly her feelings. We often explain feelings with feelings but thanks to the work of Rosemary Thompson (www.weavingenergy.com), I have begun getting my daughter to dig deeper and describe the actual feeling. She told me her fear was grey. Just grey, grey, grey. Okay, so replace it with gold. Gold, gold, gold. She immediately began chanting, "Gold will win, gold will win!". Not bad for a 5 year old.

Most of us however need something a little more complicated to dispel grey and replace it with gold. Here some techniques that have helped me to LIG:
1. EFT (emotional freedom technique). Once you learn the art of tapping the points, setting your intention and uniting with ultimately what you want, I find that you can tap ANYWHERE in the body and it will help move your energy to gold.
2. In Rinzai Zen, many practitioners have a practice of "MU". It's based on a famous koan. Bascially, whatever arises in your mind, you MUUUU it. MU. It's simple and extremely powerful way to emotional freedom. You just cut thru any story line you may have subscribed to that keeps you stuck.
3. Knowledgeable goal setting. Once you convince yourself of the knowing that whatever you are holding on to is not real, not serving the benefit of all beings, make the goal to eliminate it. This may be a drastic cutting away until it's gone or it may be a softening around whatever it is until it's melted down and lightly because part of the big wide world called your Mind.

Whatever path you chose, may it be thorough in your emotional exorcism so you can spread love with all beings.

Promoting Fertility

2010-04-28T07:32:00.001-07:00

This happens to be National Fertility Awareness week (4/24-5/1). For those of you faced with infertility, every week is fertility awareness week. For those who have never thought about fertility, one week of ‘awareness’ certainly will not begin to even touch upon the deep struggle that one goes thru trying to remedy this situation which embodies every aspect of one’s life. Nevertheless, let us appreciate that there is national awareness of this dis-ease which so many couples are faced with.

I will share with you some of the things that I believe are important in promoting fertility. We certainly know that fertility is not logical nor linear and that we ultimately do not know who is going to achieve a take home baby and who is not. Whatever the case may be, let us focus on increasing your creativity, health and vitality and fearless approach to life.

• Creativity to free pelvic energy. As Dr. Northrup says, “We as women must use our inherent creativity-our womb power-to regenerate our planet as well as to produce the next generation.” Although creativity is more closely connected to the energy of one’s ovaries, it certainly is an entire second chakra concern (see “what is my second chakra entry for more info. In what this is). If you are feeling blocked creatively, then the energy of your pelvis will feel, hold and store that block. Often it is how we define creativity that can keep us blocked. We need to open our definition so that we can be free to incorporate this important part of our daily lives, and not think of it as separate. Lavinia Spalding, in her book “Writing Away: a creative guide to awakening the journal-writing traveler” says that “you might face a seemingly insurmountable obstacle: the conviction that you’re not creative or artistic. The problem is that we’ve hijacked a word so multilayered that it’s difficult to define, and we’ve quarantined it to the exclusive realm of “fine arts.” Actually, creativity has a much wider scope. You can be creative in how you cook, throw a party, landscape your yard, play with kids, troubleshoot at work, dress, make love, travel. You can be creative in philosophy, religion, relationships, politics, or personality.” Thank you Lavinia for freeing our minds and ultimately our pelvis to allow this energy to travel with no hindrance.

•Making time, becoming fearless. Creating time in our lives-to just be, to feel and to be receptive takes a considerable amount of courage. I know that I historically have filled up every moment of my schedule to stay busy, keep on the move. God forbid that we have open blocks of time during the week with ‘nothing to do. ‘ As we settle down, settle our minds and learn to be still, we can receive the messages that we need to grow and nurture ourselves. I highly recommend reading Mika Brzezinski’s memoir “All Things at Once” where she chronicles what happened to her when she was just completely spent from overdoing. Becoming fearless is also learning to embrace not only what we don’t like but that which we want the most. Let’s face it, if you want a red sports car, most likely you will go looking at red sports cars, sitting in them and test-driving them. I think the same is true with babies. You know that when you want a baby, all you see are babies and pregnant women. (just like with red sports cars, suddenly everyone else has one)! I encourage you to love babies. Whenever you see one, go touch their little feet, send them love and see if you can hold them. This is particularly easy in restaurants where distraught and exhausted parents are trying to shove food in their mouths, pretend to be normal adults and wish their parents where there to hold their baby! Whenever I have risked asking to hold a baby in a restaurant, the parents beamed with joy!

•The inside job of fertility: plenty of good blood (uterine lining), balanced hormones and a good location for your condo to be (as in location of your uterus). If your period is scanty, your PMS is off the charts and you have a fair amount of brown discharge at anytime during your period, then we know you have work to do. Thank gosh we have our periods to let us know how things are going internally. Best ways to build blood: food, nettles and red clover (Susan weed says the only way to conceive after 40 is red clover...the #1 fertility promoter) www.blessedherbs.com to buy these amazing plants. The way I think is the best way to balance hormones is ‘doing nothing everyday for at least 10 minutes [as in meditation) and drink female tonic tea for 1-3 months or longer (www.arvigomassage.com). The only way to help your uterus get back into proper position is hands on therapy. There are excellent PT women who specialize in this moreover MAT practitioners (Maya Abdominal Therapies, see Arvigo massage to find someone near you).

Advice to Preventing Miscarriage

2010-04-27T08:33:00.000-07:00

Although there is no guarantee to bringing a baby full-term, there are many things that one can do before conception and in the early stages of pregnancy, to prevent miscarriage and ensure a 'take home baby'.
• First step you will want to take is to check your hormone balance via saliva test with a DC or Naturopath. Saliva panels are an excellent way to determine what is
Pgoing on with you hormonally. Depending on what you find out, you will need to treat yourself for your internal balance before conception. Follow the advice of the Naturopath or DC you are working with. Ideally, you will want to use foods and plant material to create the hormone balance you are looking for.

• Second, find a Maya Abdominal Therapies (MAT) practitioner(www.arvigomassage.com) to feel for location of your uterus and determine if you have any symptoms of a mis-aligned uterus. This MAT practitioner may also suggest using the Female Tonic tea to benefit your hormonally and to do a 'uterine detox'. Female Tonic tea is a uterine lavage and will clear out old endometrium that may affect the strength and health of your uterine lining.

• Third, consult with an acupuncturist who also uses Chinese Medicinals. Do not be afraid to use high quality Chinese Medicinals before, during and after pregnancy. Women have been doing this for thousands of years and they are very powerful in chaning your underlying, internal pattern. I would plan on receiving frequent, regular acupuncture treatments post conception to prevent miscarriage throughout your first trimester. Ideally, this acupuncturist will specializes in fertility and can fearlessly support you during this precarious time.

• Additionally, Red Raspberry Leaf Infusion (www.blessedherbs.com) is a wonderful uterine tonic and i would plan on using this after your uterine lavage/cleansing. Once any signs of a displaced uterus are eliminated (see www.happyuterus.blogspot.com entry: Signs of Misplaced Uterus), you can begin to tonify her and make her very strong.
This combination of remedies is very powerful and works. It should all be quite affordable and mostly done right in your kitchen with your own two hands. Many acupuncturists are open to package deals for any pregnant woman trying to prevent miscarriage. Ideally, you begin this journey to strengthing your uterus months before you actually conceive.
All the best and think orange!

Can breathing alone reduce fibroids?

2009-11-05T03:09:00.000-08:00

I have been on a quest for mastering the breath for who knows actually how long?? Many, many lifetimes I'm sure! I recently found a book that is very encouraging, extremely informative and potentially life changing if you engage in the techniques they share.

Having involved myself in the nasal vs. mouth breathing debate many times, this book, Free your Breath, Free your Life: How conscious Breathing can relieve stress, increase vitality, and help you live more fully by Dennis Lewis, addresses this widely debated topic very clearly.

Reasons for nasal breathing:
• The hairs that line our nostrils filter out particles of dust and dirt that can be injurious to our
lungs.
• Nasal breathing maintains the correct balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in our blood
(the opposite of hyperventilation)
• The only way to fully activate your para-sympathetic nervous system or, relaxation response
• The only way to contact the olfactory nerves to stimulate your brain and put it into its
natural rhythm. If you don't breathe through your nose, in a sense you're only half alive!
• The only way to fully activate you lungs and reach down into the lower portion of the lobes

Thank you Dennis for your hard work in compiling this valuable information!

Prevent disease by clearing out internal heat!

2009-10-05T09:12:00.001-07:00

This dietary preparation for Winter comes directly from John Doulliard DC, author and director of www.LifeSpa.com. It makes sense that late summer is the time when we have acummulated the most heat internally and that we need to actually clear out some of this accumulative heat before winter begins. Dr. Doulliard says, "If we do no-the heat will turn to dryness and the drynes of winter will accujulate and irritate our sinuses." This can potentially lead to sinus infections and a cyclical dryness pattern which allows the body to create excess mucous.

Dr. Doulliard suggests that we " follow natures lead and begin eating 2-4 apples per day from now until Halloween, along with more pomegranates, and other ripe seasonal fruit and veggies." This is natures way of cooling us naturally and internally.

If you want to take a late summer cleanse and prepare a bit more seriously for what is to come, you may want to partake in his suggested 4-7 day cleanse whereby you drink ghee (see previous blog post about this) every morning. This forces fat metabolism along with a no fat diet. You can eat kitcheree, veggies, hot cereal, fruit, crackers, rice and beans but NO FAT or FATTY foods. During this time of dietary adjustments and ghee first thing in the morning, the body will begin to burn its own fat.

Ghee Cleanse (Not indicated if you have gallbladder trouble or difficulty digesting fat)

First AM

Day One 2 tspns. ghee
Day Two 4 tspns. ghee
Day Three 6 tspns. ghee
Day Four 8 tspns. ghee

(Dr. Doulliard suggests using Herbal Clay (for my suggestion visit www.happyuterus.com/products.html) externally before showering to further the detox process.

Eve of Day Four

Take a hot bath

Mix 4 tspns. castor oil with the juice of an orange and hot water. Hold your nose and drink castor mix and quickly suck on the orange. 1-4 hours later you should experience a laxative effect.

During the cleanse you can also take additional Liver detox supplements and do other exercises for detoxification: colonics, sweating, castor oil packs and/or massage. I like LIVAmend by www.bodyecologydiet.com

Please let us know your experiences with this cleanse!

Mushrooms rather than anti-biotics!!

2009-10-05T09:02:00.001-07:00

If you view the word anti-biotics as "anti-life", you may be reluctant to include them in your wellness regime. Most especially if you are pregnant, trying to conceive and aiming to "include-life" and not repel it. I am happy to share with you this incredible product

Exerpted from Myco Herb: Full Line of Nutritive Mushroms, distributed by www.craneherb.com

Myco-Forte is a five fungi blend of some of the most nutrient-rich musthooms known to modern and traditional science and medicine. They contain active ingredients specific to the immune system which promote one's innate ability to detect, isolate and destroy foreign entitues which are believed to cause sickness and disease. These medicinal fungi possess antiviral, antibacterial, antiparasitic, and anticarcinogenic properties, which means that they are indicated for treating conditions ranging from common cold to cancer. In Traditional Chinese Medicine terms, Myco-Forte stokes the Ming-Men fire (the Gate of Vitality), clears toxicity, revitalizes Blood, and nourishes Yin.

As if that were not enough!! Here is a list of the actual properties of these unique mushroom blend: Replenishes moisture of the lung; fortifies the kidneys, supplements the defensive qi (immune system) and blood without generating excess heat or damp, dispels phlegm, fortifies the bones, strengthens the intestines and internal organs, nourishes the brain, allays cough accompanied by dryness and heat, eliminates food stagnation, allays hunger, lightens the body, soothes and elevates the spirit. WOW! I can honestly attest to this being true. I have been a myco-junkie now for 3 years and it saves me every winter!!

Active compounds include (for all you science types out there): polysaccharides, glucosides, sterols, amino acids, glutamic acid, cordycepin, enzymes, lipids, volatile oils, vitamins, proteins, trace minerals!

Who will benefit from this formula? Anyone with:
•Immune deficiency
•Chronic viral illness
•Chronic fatigue
•Auto-toxicity
•Respiratory weakness, cough accompanied by Dryness and Heat
•Frailty, weakness, exhaustion
•Symptoms of poor digestion and food stagnation
•Depression and Anxiety

Five Steps to Great Health

2009-09-27T18:44:00.000-07:00

Premier Research Labs (www.prlabs.com) an extraordinary company that sells, among many other wonderful products, the worlds greatest nutritional yeast. Yes, nutritional YEAST!! Those funny, yellow flakes that usually lie dormant in plastic bins along the floors of health food stores across the country. Anyhow, included with my last order was an info. sheet titled, "Five Steps to Great Health".

5 Steps to Great Health:

1. Restore an Alkaline Body pH: I love this as the first step because as much research suggests, the body can not heal in an acidic state; and most of us are very acidic. There are many ways to alkalize and my favorite ways are with spirulina tabs and/or with liquid chlorphyll. I suggest you ask a local practitioner to give you a kit that will test pH in your urine and you will be able to monitor exactly how fast you can regain the pH balance you need.

2. Normalize Hormone Balance: Looking into the hormone balance, we know that it is our thoughts, feelings, internal organs, foods and every aspect of our lives and what we take into our beings that create hormones. The questions becomes, if one is hormonally out of balance, how to regain that balance? Where to begin? Do we begin changing thought patterns? What do we do when we need more help? Things that I rely on to immediately begin to make changes towards more balance in the body: meditation, pranayama (breathing) are two that will all the mind to soften towards a much more peaceful state; Castor Oil packs for the liver to help soften the liver's tough edges and Female Tonic, which acts as a uterine lavage to help clean out the uterus of any old endometrium that is hard pressed to let go.

3. Detoxify the Body: Identify where exactly you have accumulated toxins in your body/mind and begin to slowly and steadily pull them out. This is a very common misunderstanding that goes often to one extreme. It is most often the case that one's own thought pattern is what most needs to change. If you pull toxins out of your colon and never address what is happening to your mind, it will be time wasted. Detox Tea from www.rainforestremedies.com is a very powerful tea, extremely bitter and wonderful and you can instantly feel the astringent nature of the plants pulling toxins.

4. Eliminate Chronic Infections: This is a tricky one because it is difficult to determine the best diagnostic techniques. However, I highly recommend using Colloidal Silver in many cases of chronic infections.

5. Rejuvenate the Body's Systems: When in doubt, I always rely on Nettles. Nothing quite comes close to building the body up like nettles. The blood building, mineral rich plant based infusion.

Ways to treat Endometrial/Uterine Polyps

2009-06-30T04:16:00.000-07:00

1. Use your monthly cycle to clean out the "old".
Your uterus is designed to 'Let Go'. The lining (blood) accumulates (if there is abundance) and ideally, fully releases this accumulation monthly. I like to think of menstruation as a time of "letting go", a deep, lasting exhalation; deflating the balloon and a time to watch that balloon soar endlessly into the sky. Your uterine blood (endometrium) is a reflection for what is going on with a your entire blood system. If there is brown, dark, foul-smelling blood, then we need to pay attention to a disruptive pattern that your body and mind have been adapting to. Changes in diet, self care routine and emotional patterning will all support your uterus to become stronger and and in a better position to fully let go. Uterine massage (MAM) and vaginal steaming are also highly recommended for creating an environment within yourself so that your uterus fully clears out the 'old', without beginning the next cycle on top of the last. Visit www.arvigomassage.com for more info. regarding this.

2. Dive into the energetic function of your uterus/2nd chakra
In her book, The ABC's of Chakra Therapy: a Workbook, Deedre Diemer explains in depth your energetic vortex called the second chakra and says, "The 2nd chakra, located in the lower abdomen, contains stored memories, emotions, and information about how you relate to other people, the quality of your relationships, the day-to-day physical aspects of living, the use of your sexual/creative energy. The pelvic and reproductive organs are located in this area and are most susceptible to disease when there is a blockage or imbalance in the 2nd chakra." Need we say more? I would add to this that due to the emotional layering, unexamined beliefs and judgemental projections that most of us are walking around with, we are susceptible to having blockages in this power center. For more information from Deedre Diemer, visit her website at:
http://www.theauthenticjourney.com/index.html

3. Daily choices support an on-going, daily detox.
In the now community of complementary health care practitioners and patients , the idea of 'detox' is widely subscribed to. This is very interesting if you can look at it in more of a cultural context and less of a health context. Where did we get the idea that we are "dirty", full of toxins and need to be cleansed? Sounds very judgemental to me! Now, of course if your diet has been mainly processed foods, and you have never done anything intentionally to benefit your health, you will want to determine what sort of plan will will adopt to clean yourself up from the inside out. Donna Gates's "Detoxification Training" (visit www.bodyecologydiet.com for more info.) is full of valuable information with a no-nonsense approach to radically shifting your body towards wellness. Our daily routine and diet should facilitate the liver, blood and bowels to gently, slowly and steadily cleanse every single day. Through eating a lot of greens, alkalizing, avoiding poisons, drinking clean water and including fermented foods and drinks in our daily diet, the body is going to detox and therefore continually regenerate itself in a healthy way.

4. Using your moon time to actually rest and reflect: the 3 day rule
If you have not yet read the novel "The Red Tent", by Anita Diamant, a wonderful tale of women living together in the days when you could actually retreat from the world of cooking, cleaning, parenting and relating, I highly encourage you to. It reminds us of the time when women were honored and respected during this time; to enter the red tent for 3 days and let your uterus have the time and space to do her job of releasing, cleansing and preparing for the next cycle. Without this time of conscious rest, because the uterus is put under a lot of strain everyday, she may not fully cleanse herself. This can result in a multitude of symptoms, endometrial/uterine polyps being one of them. Without the proper attention during this time, the uterus will not fully cleanse.

5. Female Tonic can be used to facilitate the "clean out" of old endometrium.
If you decide that you would like to call upon herbal support in 'cleaning out your uterus', then Female Tonic is an excellent choice. Although you can buy it as a ready-made tincture, there is something quite powerful when making the tea. I love the tea and feel huge benefits while drinking it. Female tonic warms your reproductive organs by lessening tension in diaphragm muscle, has a mild anti-spasmodic action on uterine muscles and, among other qualities, it acts as a uterine lavage to remove accumulated debris caused by incompletely flushed menstrual fluids. Visit www.happyuterus.com and/or www.rainforestremedies.com for more information on this product.

5 Products Your Child Needs

2009-05-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

Although most parents begin to think about their childs immune system in the fall, the time to think about it is now. I am going to share with you the five products that I never leave home without and that have significantly improved the quality of our lives and ultimately, supported my daughter in her recovery of asthma.

1. Digestive Enzymes: enzymes are controversial because some people feel that they weaken digestion and potentially create a dependency. The anecdote is to this possible weakness is to build digestive fire and not need supplemental enzymes. However, when dealing with children, building digestive fire is not easy to impose! Nutraceutical Sciences Institute makes "Tummy Zymes: Digestive Enzymes for Kids", chewable enzymes for children. They are great tasting, easy to include in your daily life. I always keep one bottle in my purse and one at home. And, whenever I travel, esp. out of the country, I always bring a few extra. They have saved us from a belly ache every time and will help elimination if needed! Healthy guts are healthy lungs and healthy mind! I order these from www.vitacost.com, very affordable option to improving GI function.

2. Acacia Fiber powder: This is the best fiber supplement on the market to ensure that your child will poop! It is dietary soluble fiber, certified organic and has a prebiotic effect, which means that it increases the good gut flora that your immune system depends on. It is tasteless, odorless and poses no choking risk. You can add it to liquids or moist foods and it will regulate yours and your childs eliminative process so you can poop daily with ease. Visit www.happyuterus.com/products.html for more info.

3. Liquid Astragalus vials by Plum Flower: When your child is old enough to sip through a straw, then they will begin receiving the benefits of taking this daily tonic to boost their immune system. Astragalus is a single herb designed to support the lungs and spleen, the foundation for your immune system. One vial has 700 mg. of astragalus root extract, each comes with its own straw. My 4 year old begs for 1-2 of these vials a day and without a doubt, I have seen the cumulative benefits in her health. She went from having a weakened immune system and an asthma diagnosis to having strong, powerful lungs and not missing one day of school in 2 years!! Thank you to our Chinese ancestors for finding this wonderful root! www.mayway. com

4. Children's Herbal Sentinel by Kan Herbs: This formula was designed to be used at the first sign of a runny nose. When the first drips from the nose begins, turn these tables into a fairly thick liquid, add stevia powder and administer. It is a guarantee to stop the runny nose and prevent the phlegm from entering the lung and turning into something much more complicated to treat. www.craneherb.com for more info.

5. Children's Ear Formula by Kan Herbs: Another potent product, designed by Dr. Jake Paul Fratkin (who was the supporting force in resolving my daughters asthma and has an excellent article on pediatric ear infections www.drjakefratkin.com), which will effectively treat ear infections. Believe it or not, you do not need to take pharmaceutical antibiotics, you can much more effectively treat ear infections with Chinese Herbs. I used this formula two times in five years and my daughter never had another ear infection!! Thank you Dr. Fratkin, my pediatric hero!

Please contact us if you would like more information. www.happyuterus.com; or to set up a consultation regarding your child's health care needs.

Spirit Babies: How to Communicate

2009-03-29T06:17:00.001-07:00

Spirit Babies- How to Communicate with the Child You're Meant to Have by Walter Makichen. A must read for any woman or couple who has exhausted her emotions, physical body and logic in the realm of science and conception. Walter Makichen brings his natural gift of a clarivoyant to the service of those trying to conceive and helps you connect with the spirit baby that is already connected to you. Truly amazing, undeniable stories of success and connection! He will inspire to meditate and get in touch with the love in your heart for your baby that easily becomes covered by fear, loss and confusion. Visit his website: www.spiritbabies.com for more information.

Ways to eliminate excess estrogen

2009-03-10T07:20:00.000-07:00

Estrogen dominance is a recurring problem for many women. Too many processed foods in one's diet can cause this, coupled with constipation, can pose a serious health risk. Changing one's diet to a whole grain, organic plant based diet will greatly improve one's health very quickly.

At times however, certain products may be needed to help quicken this process. Visit www.healthresources.net for more information on this product.

Orgasm and Conception

2009-03-10T07:16:00.000-07:00

This is an area of research that is truly fascinating and surely not addressed (for the obvious reasons) by any fertility doctors. How to improve chances of conception by ensuring that a woman has an orgasm.

How does the orgasm itself help increase chances? The cervix pulls during orgasm and helps actively assist the sperm to enter into the uterus and swim up to the fallopian tubes.

6 Days to prepare for implantation

2009-03-10T07:09:00.000-07:00

During my certification training, Dr. Arvigo said that it "takes about 6 days for the endometrium to prepare for implantation." (www.arvigomassage.com). This really struck me as something very important for all women trying to conceive to keep in mind.

Preparing the endometrium, is also preparing our minds and spirits to be open enough to receive. Being receptive may be one of the harder parts of conception because we are so quick to grasp, attempt to control and figure everything out. But if we can work on cultivating our mind in a meditative way, we are more likely to be receptive.

Nourishing foods to build the blood, beginning on day 3 of a woman's cycle, is essential to having a well nourished lining that can be receptive to implantation. For a list of blood building foods, visit www.lifesourceacupuncture.com.

5 Steps to a Happy Uterus

2009-03-09T09:02:00.000-07:00

The steps to enliven your pelvis, enrich your creative flow and become an energy dynamo that will awaken your second chakra and help to prevent accumulative disorders (fibroids) and/or treat blockages that already may exist.

1. Do NOTHING. that's right. just sit back, observe your breathe and watch your mind. try to get some perspective on why things are going in the direction that they are in your life. I cannot claim to have thought of this idea myself. I was first introduced to this radical concept of "doing nothing" as the first step of healing by Susun Weed. ("Doing Nothing" in another tradition is another way of saying to do "zazen" or meditation.) Susun (www.susunweed.com) has "The Six Steps of Healing" and her Step O is to "Do Nothing", which she claims is a vital, invisible step. I could not agree more. Another teacher who introduces this radical idea Martha Beck (www.marthabeck.com). Martha is a brilliant author, teacher and life coach and encourages your mental, physical and spiritual wellness by actively doing nothing for at least 15 minutes per day. Watch and you will learn.

2. Take a Second Chakra inventory: As we have learned from the teachers in the Energy Medicine tradition, the second chakra (color is orange/gold/yellow), is home to our creative & sexual energy, our intimate relationships, control and money issues and prosperity. This is precisely the reason this area of the body is of interest to me!! It is certainly where all our juice and power lies and it is vitally important for us to have a very deep understanding of these areas of our life and how they are interdependently woven together. To do a second chakra inventory, visit www.happyuterus.com and fill out the "Do you have a Happy Uterus" questionnaire.

3. Improve your Diet: Let's face it, there is absolutely no way to deny that you are what you eat, your food makes the blood in your body and poor quality blood leads to poor quality organs. When your internal organs are in a degenerative state due to an over processed diet, there is enough supporting, scientific research to show this has a deleterious effect on your overall health. There are millions of diets out there but common sense shows us: avoid processed food, avoid processed sugar, make at least 80% of every meal fruits and veggies and drink lots of water. My current favorite diet is the Body Ecology Diet (www.bodyecology.com)

4. Cultivate your Mind: I would have to admit that I believe very deeply that this is the most important step. Although there are numerous books, teachers, authors and practices out there teaching meditation, I recommend that you find an actual lineage. A lineage is a practice that has been passed on from teacher to student for thousands of years. The lineages that I am most familiar with are within the Buddhist and Yoga tradition, of which there are many. Here are the ones that have influenced my life greatly: (visit www.zencenterofsyracuse.org and www.jewelheart.org); in the Yoga tradition (www.cnyyogacenter.com or www.dharmayogacenter.com).

5. Do things that you love: Let's remember, you are going to die. This may come as a relief or as burden, depending on how well you have cultivated your mind! Whatever the case may be, I think that doing things that you absolutely love to do are the most important to bring happiness. Martha Beck as great advice and hilarious stories that surround this issue of lightening up and loving more. If you really want to share joy with others, why not create it within your own being first!

Just what is GHEE?

2009-01-11T08:02:00.000-08:00

Although I had heard about Ghee for years, the first time it was actually prescribed to me was when I was a week post my "due date" and feeling hugely pregnant, ready to re-claim my body and would almost anything to get labor going. I just happened to have an appointment with a well known Ayurvedic doctor at Dr. Steve Wechsler's office (www.drsteveradio.com) and he said the reason I was not going into labor was that I was too dry and needed Ghee.

Dr. Steve very kindly gave me some ghee that evening and sure enough, my labor began. Ever since then, I have had the utmost respect for this clarified butter since not only did it help to induce me but cured extreme symptoms that manifested in my nose for over 8 years and could not be diagnosed properly by any of the 15 practitioners that I had sought throughout the years. Upon consuming the ghee, all of my symptoms (which I later found out were an aspect of dryness or Vata imbalance) disappeared!

If you were to visit www.ancientorganics.com for further information and directions on how to prepare ghee (or to buy it), this is some of the information you will find. Ghee is the essence of milk and the milk of cows is considered, in Ayurveda, to possess the essence of all plants. It is said that Ghee builds the aura, makes all the organs soft, builds up the internal juices of the body (which are destroyed by aging) and increases the most refined element of digestion, which is the underlying basis of all immunity and the essence of all bodily tissues. Ghee is known to increase intelligence, refine the intellect and improve memory.

Okay then! After that, how can you not want to incorporate this into your daily diet, esp. in winter if you happen to live in an arctic zone like CNY. You can spread it on toast, dollop it in soup, spread it on tortillas or slide it into your morning tea. However you can get it down, you will benefit. For more recipes for making ghee, visit YouTube, www.aayisrecipes.com or www.yogaholidays.net/magazine/ghee.htm

Everyone Poops!

2009-01-11T06:21:00.000-08:00

Do you remember the childhood book, "Everyone Poops!" by Taro Gomi (www.amazon.com) which explains to us very clearly in words and pictures that if you eat, you poop. Now, it sounds quite simple but we know (at least if you're a health care provider), that it never really is that simple. Since we know that our digestive system is our second brain (see previous post), and that our brains are working overtime with what to eat, when to how, how to eat, why to eat and who to eat with, our guts are in a perpetual state of trying to do their job of eliminating what is now a utter confusion.

I have had the great fortune of having close friends who are colon therapists (www.vitonics.com) and have witnessed numerous occasions reactions from people who ask, "What do you do?". Even from individuals on the more "enlightened" side of the spectrum, the responses can be quite embarassing and obviously exposing their degree of discomfort on this subject of poop.

My point of this post however, is not the repressed emotional intricacies of the wonder of the human body, perialstalsis and sphincters, but of a wonderful product called Acacia Fiber powder. I was introducted to this product by someone who used it to recover from the symptoms of IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome. If you are interested in an entire product line developed to treat these symtoms, please visit www.helpforibs.com.

Acacia is a soluble fiber and there is a lot of studies that show soluble fibers help a full spectrum of IBS symtoms. The other name for this fiber is gum Arabic. This is much more expensive for manufacturers to buy than many of the other fiber sources, so this is why big companies have not incorporated it into their manufacturing. Acacia is a gum from the Acacia senegal tree grown on an organic farm in Africa. It is made similar to how maple syrup is made.

"Acacia is very gentle, not allergenic, and the breakdown products of the acacia product more of the beneficial short chain fatty acids that are supportive of the intestinal cells. It is also prebiotic maeaning it will help to support the balance of good bacteria in your gut because soluble fiber is their preferred food source."-staff member at Help For IBS.

I can personally attest to the wonders of this simple product that has only one ingredient: acacia fiber. I was motivated to use it due to my daughters digestive sluggishness (common to almost all children) and it worked wonders in less than 48 hours! Thank you to Heather Van Vorous, founder of www.HelpForIBS.com, the largest resource company for IBS in the world.

Do your Ovaries have feelings??

2008-04-15T03:13:00.000-07:00

According to Dr. Northrup (www.drnorthrup.com), ovarian energy is more dynamic and quickly changing than that of the uterus. Think about the time difference between growing a baby and growing an egg. Now, does this mean that if you have ovarian "dys-function" (such as cysts or anovulation), then bringing about a change will be much quicker than if you have uterine fibroids? Possibly and why not?! But if you have both, fibroids and ovarian cysts, you are going to have to address both to get results in your ovaries.

The women that I admire who have delved into energy anatomy (Caroline Myss (www.myss.com), Dr.Christiane Northrup and Donna Eden (www.innersource.net), concluded that the energy of the ovaries is quite different from the energy of the uterus. Our ovaries represent our creativity. Our creative drives in the outer world and our assertiveness in the outer world and our drive towards financial, creative or relationship goals, affect the function of our ovaries. If someone is addicted to external authority (rather than intuition) or is a constant need of approval, some possible physical manifestations could be ovarian cysts.

Don't feel creative? you would probably be quite surprised at how creative you are daily. A great exercise is to do a brainstorm writing exercise and first define the word creative. Notice if you have any of that in your life. Next, brainstorm all the ways you WISH you were creative. Use your imagination. Already you have been creative. Then whenever you begin something from the creative wish list, just do your best. If nothing else, go pick some flowers and arrange them!

Be well, change gracefully!

Bliss

2008-03-16T07:52:00.000-07:00

One of my modern, medical heros is Dr. Christiane Northrup (www.drnorthrup.com). Anyone who has ever listened to her speak or read her books, knows just how truly amazing she is. I admire her willingness to step outside the box of modern medicine to inform all of her patients, and all of us, the missing pieces to our vitality and health. She brings together emotions and symptoms, and urges us all to see how the two are not seperate.

In her most recent newsletter, which you can get at www.drnorthrup.com, her feature story is about Limbic imprint recoding. Elena Tonetti, of www.birthintobeing.com, offers Birthshops where she "invokes our emotinal and physical memory of Bliss"!! Sounds good to me. Maybe if there is enough interest here in CNY, we could invite her here for a Bliss shop (my words).

THANK YOU ELIOT SPITZER!

2008-03-12T10:30:00.000-07:00

The reason I say thank you to our former governor of NY State, is that he forces us to look at the issue of prostitution and notice how we feel. Undoubtedly, it brings up very strong feelings in everyone. I have spent many, many hours over the years looking at this issue from, I think, every possible angle. Is there such a thing as a "Sacred Prostitute"? Is it just "the oldest profession in the world"? Is it "much better than an $8/hour job"? and on and on.

A few years back, the now Doctor Annie Sprinkle (former porn star/prostitute turned Phd.) came to Hamilton college to share her decades of experience making money selling her body. I attended her completely sold out performance hoping that she could convince me that there is something sacred about this whole archetype that so many women subscribe to unconsciously.

I was seriously disappointed. At the end, she was clearly in the category of the "walking wounded" and possessed no real foundation for what she claimed was a "spiritual and human service profession". I felt very sorry for her. Her website and books are definitely worth looking into however if this is a topic that interests you. (google annie sprinkle)

Today however, I encountered a very different woman. Veronica Monet (www.veronicamonet.com and www.sexwithoutshame.com), has worked in the sex industry for many years and is clearly NOT the walking wounded. She is quite self possessed, has incredible self esteem and was actually married the entire time she worked as a prostitute. Her great attitude towards men and their motivations for hiring her, has opened me to a different view on this subject. After listening to her being interviewed via podcast, my favorite quote was when asked about what she did for men she replied, "It is not about what I DO to men, it's about how great I feel about myself, that's what men are attracted to. The fact that I love my body." Who would have thought that what men desire the most is for women to really love and take care of themselves?!!

More on this completely emotional and complicated issue later.

Sex, Lies and the Truth About Uterine Fibroids

2008-03-10T11:19:00.000-07:00

Sex, Lies and the Truth about Uterine Fibroids is a well-written book by Carla Dionne (visit www.uterinefibroids.com for more info.), who is the executive director of the National Uterine Fibroids Foundation (www.nuff.org). Ms. Dionnne's book is a tremendous resource, inspired by her own experience and very practical, a must read for any woman curious about treating fibroids.

In her book, there is a section about castor oil packs that is very interesting and, the only place I have encountered a reference to a paper written in 1999 entitled "Immunomodulation Through Castor Oil Packs", written by Harvey Grady, which was published by the Journal of Naturopathic Medicine. The paper addresses how castor oil affects the lymphatic system and ultimately supports the immune system.

I love how Carla brings together these three energetic: Sex....our primal instinct to move energy freely throughout our pelvis and ultimately our entire body; Lies, could be one lying to oneself about what truly makes one happy, frustrated or sacred. all of these feelings can get lodged in the pelvis, esp. feeling like you are not being creative enough, having the time to be creative. if ou are always in survival mode, this freeing energy of creativity, which can come out in dance, cake baking, house decorating, it's limitless. to have creative energy available, you have to make the time to let it come out. Any woman who is fully engaged in life juggling all that it has to offer, knows that time is something practically non-existant! so that is our work, create time. all of this can be done in the mind. begin by imagining, or just plain fantasizing, that you have enough time for yourself. be specific in your visualization. imagine yourself going through your day in exactly the fashion you would like. long stretches before you get out of bed, couple deep breathes before you take your first sip of lemon water....and continue on.
One of the contributing factors in any accumulative disorder (which fibroids are), is the lie that we subscribe to that there is not enough time in the day to take care of oneself. And then we subscribe to it without even fantasize once about how we DO want our lives to look. So give yourself the creative outlet to fantasize about your life and exactly how you want it to look and feel like.

Love and Forgive

2008-03-10T11:10:00.000-07:00

My all time favorite pod cast is Garrison Keillor's, the Writer's Almanac, supported by the Poetry Foundation. As soon as I hear his poetic verse and voice, all is well for me. He soothes your heart and expands your mind all with simple, lyrical gesture.

One of the sponsor's for the Writer's Almanac is www.loveandforgive.org, which is part of the Fetzer Institute. Who would have thought that an entire website would be founded on the principles, scientific research and practical application of Love and Forgiveness?! If you are interested in applying these principles in your life, visit their website (there are job opps. there as well). They have an on-line forgiveness exercise that could be very helpful for those in need of developing this muscle of the heart.

Of course, the best way to a Happy Uterus is to Love and Forgive!

Detoxifying Herbal Clay

2008-03-08T05:07:00.000-08:00

Mud is loaded with naturally occuring minerals which, when applied directly to the skin, are absorbed right into your bloodstream. Minerals are so important in your bodies healing and it is very difficult to get enough minerals in your diet without supplementing.

Happy Uterus Detoxifying Herbal Clay is actually a combination of mud and herbs. The herbs were carefully selected for the purpose of detoxifying the body. When applied on the body (and the best way is to use a brush and apply everywhere, esp. where there tends to be lymphatic congestion like your breasts and underarm area), you can feel the mud drawing, pulling and creating change right beneath your skin.

If you have been to any spa anywhere in the world, you will almost always notice "Mud Baths" on their menu of options. This is because for hundreds of years people all over the world have been soaking themselves in this wonderful, mineral and herbal saturated stuff to heal themselves. I was inspired a few years back, when doing a lot of research on infertility and it's cures, when on the front page of our local newspaper was a photo of a group of women in Peru sitting beach side covered with MUD! The caption read that they believed mud helped cure infertility and hence they were using it.

Often, our best cures come directly from the earth and that is why I love this mud. For more information, please visit my website: www.happyuterus.com and also visit www.deadseawarehouse.com for information on where this mud comes from.

The Second Brain

2008-03-07T08:59:00.000-08:00

For all you brainiacs out there, you must read "The Second Brain" by Michael D. Gershon, M.D. With a lot of words, Dr. Gershon explains neurogastroenterology and the evidence that our guts have their own nervous system and are therefore, the second brain. The nerve cells in our guts (mainly small and large intestine) can "go it alone; they can operate the organ without the instructions from the brain or spinal cord". This is totally amazing to me.

Now, for all of you chronically constipated or whoever can not poop while traveling, this should make a lot of sense. You can not will your intestines to do anything, they have a mind of their own. More later on what is the best way to nourish the second brain and how our guts actually make serotonin for our first brain!

For more information, visit
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/23/health/23gut.html

Moments in time

2008-03-07T08:35:00.000-08:00

I know some people may be interested in how I became interested in complementary health, and just what kind of education and experience I have (this is jennifer btw, founder of happyuterus.com) and I thought rather than bore you with the details of chronology, I will share some of the funnier stories I actually remember of my life based education that never ends!

When I was 19 years old and studying in East Africa (mainly Kenya), I "apprenticed" with a local healer on the island of Lamu. (an incredible place to visit, highly recommend it). What that meant was that I went to his clinic every day and watched while he talked(in Swahili) to locals that came in and prescribed herbs for their ailments. All the herbs grew on the island. There was also a German student also doing research for his P.hd. Anyhow, I got head lice.

Ever had head lice?? It's horrible stuff. I was bright enough to actually think that I could drown them out in the ocean. I went swimming every day and stayed under water for as long as I possibly could and thought, today's the day they will drown.

Of course, this did not work. I was SO committed to not using any chemicals on my body (meanwhile being exposed to all sorts of second hand chemicals and pollution), that rather than using the 24 hour kill all your lice head spray, I used this local doctors remedy. This took one month and I had to sleep every night with this very aromatic herbal concoction on my head while wrapped in a towel!

At the end of my apprenticeship, the doctor strongly urged me to get married to a local man because that would provide me with better housing (no head lice in the local housing) and I would NOT have to convert to Islam! What a relief! (In Islamic culture, if a non-muslim woman marries a muslim man, she does not have to convert. But,if a non-muslim man marries a muslim women, he MUST convert) Interesting fact to know for all you single women out there who may be traveling to the coast of E. Africa!!

Lesson learned: sometimes the fast approach to health cures is the best approach!