Heal

Oh, the illusionary and all too persuasive frequency of worry. I know this one well. I remember walking into the living room when I was eight years old and the news was on. The news channel was reporting on global warming. Here I was 8 years old, born onto a planet that was going to cook itself into a slow and painful death?! I was horrified. I didn’t sleep well for months. My stomach hurt. My thoughts were consumed and thus began my first episode of a lifelong relationship with worry, the all too disempowering frequency of “what if.”

Circadian rhythms have been long forgotten since technology slipped into our homes. We were once farmers, each one of our ancestors a direct descendant of an agriculturalist. This is not hyperbole; this is how we made it so far on our human journey.

The thought occurred to me today that if energy flows where attention goes then the $10 billion dollar a year self-improvement industry in the U.S. alone is actually contributing to the perpetuating mental and emotional belief that “you are not enough” exactly the way you are. This contradicts every sacred text and teaching that I have ever come across. You exist therefore you are enough. Your essence was born from the frequency of the Source of all life. That is enough to make your existence completely and fully valid.

For the uninitiated, the name chaga immediately pokes at one’s curiosity—as does its nickname, “black gold.” The chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) resembles a chunk of rough coal blooming from the side of a birch, stark in contrast to the tree’s white bark. Whether the name is just a bit of clever branding or finds its roots in its ancient medicinal context, it is, undoubtedly, correct.

If you have ever been in the backseat of a car on a winding road and started to feel nauseated, dizzy, and just plain awful, you have experienced motion sickness. We often feel symptoms of motion sickness when we are on a boat, a train, and even when flying on a plane. Children can sometimes get motion sick when playing on swings at the playground or when on rides at the fair, such as a spinning ride, or one that has you hanging upside down. 

Fir is one of the quintessential scents of the season, known for its foresty, fresh, and somewhat sweet notes. For those of us who live and hike in the mountains, or for anyone who’s had a Christmas tree, the scent of fir is unmistakable.  There are over 50 types of delightfully scented fir in the northern hemisphere, and the leaves, twigs, and cones are all rich in aromatics.

My intent today is to leave you with an idea, a thought, and a seed of possibility.  After all, it is through thought first that any physical form can manifest within our earth experience. So as a collective it is important that we begin to look at our thoughts with much more awareness of the ripples they create.

After our explorations into settling imbalances in the mind through Sight, Sound, and Smell, it’s time to turn our attention towards the body. As you recall, we are able to satisfy and support our dosha physically through the senses of Taste and Touch.

I’ll start by stating the obvious.  When struggling with panic attacks, the approach necessarily has to be a broad one encompassing a whole network of support:  A good therapist is helpful, nutrient-dense foods, mindfulness practice, physical activity, reaching out to loved ones and such.  Speaking from experience. Anxiety has been a life-long companion of sorts, but full-on panic attacks didn’t start until my early 30s. This was pre-herbalism for me so I went through a whole slew of “azepams,” each losing effect after a few weeks.

Cupping, as defined by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, is “a traditional Chinese medicine practice that involves placing cups on the skin to create suction.” Suction cups are left on the skin to draw fluid into the area, thereby speeding the healing process. Cupping follows the Chinese philosophy: “Where there’s stagnation, there will be pain.