i can't believe i haven't written this yet

Reflexology for cold and flu prevention or to expedite the one you already have

Work your hands and fingers to help sinus congestion, and respiratory health

Gently pinch the webbing in between each finger several times. You can also drag from webbing down into the palm of your hand (this stimulated lymph drainage)

Gently squeeze the fingers from the base (web) to the tip, squeeze all sides of the finger and give an extra squeeze and slight pull at each knuckle.

this also works on your toes and feels especially nice if someone else does it for you.

dusting off the blog

whoa! it has been too long my friends and my blog has gathered a wee bit o dust.

i have been trying to think of something brilliant to say and have finally come up with a recent personal story that pertains to my work/life/ability to function balance.

that story is all about water.

and it's amazingness and how unamazing it is to not have enough of it.

so it's the 4th of july here in seattle. i'm helping a friend at a wedding. it's 80 degrees. it's downtown on the waterfront on the roof.

i know all this cause i was there the day before helping out.

so event day... drank lots cause knew in the stress of events water is hard to stop for.

what none of us expected was for vendor dude with mandap (this was an Indian wedding and i am not sure i spelled that right) to be 1.5 hours late. which meant extra time in sun trying to do everything before he came then do it all when he finally arrived then sit through long wedding then take down decor.

i think i sweat out 3 gallons of water.

so sunday i'm sore and weird like my body hurts like i have the flu. hot and cold are all off. i'm going to the bathroom all the time.

i honestly didn't really think anything was wrong until i had to drive to bothell. then i knew i was very very wrong and should most definitely not be driving this vehicle but what to do now.

but i made it there and i made it back home.

then i drank tea, and sparkling mineral water and water and had chicken soup and proceeded to try and reconstitute my severely dehydrated cells.

today is much, much better but still a bit of wonky and still an excess of bathroom breaks. (which is confusing as to why your body would flush liquid when it needs it but it has something to do with salt (electrolyte) mineral balance and your bodies toxicity-if you know this stuff i'd love to have it explained)

water is key. stay hydrated my friends because summer is no fun when you feel wonky.

water is life.

another reason to buy organic clothes

I just received this article from a friend in regards to a lawsuit filed against Victoria Secret for putting formaldehyde in their bras and women having sever reactions. I thought we could all use a bit of clothing and dye education/reminder to buy things that are gentle on the planet and gentle on ourselves.

Why Do They Put Formaldehyde in clothes?

Formaldehyde, most commonly known as embalming fluid, serves a number of purposes in manufactured products. It is actually frequently used in fabrics to give them a variety of "easy care properties" such as:

• Permanent press
• Anti-cling, anti-static, anti-wrinkle, and anti-shrink
• Waterproofing and stain resistance
• Perspiration proof
• Moth proof
• Mildew resistance
• Color-fastness

According to the American Contact Dermatitis Society, rayon, blended cotton, corduroy, wrinkle-resistant 100 percent cotton, and any synthetic blended polymer are likely to have been treated with formaldehyde resins.

But as some are finding out the hard way, easy care comes at a price.

Health Hazards of Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde, for all its benefits, is also listed as a "probable carcinogen." And, unfortunately, the United States is more lax about its regulation than most other countries. For example, "low level" of acceptable formaldehyde in Japan is 75 ppm, whereas the U.S. "low level" of acceptable formaldehyde is near 300 ppm.

There's evidence that some people can develop sensitivity to formaldehyde from repeated exposure, which can eventually become a serious health concern.

You can be exposed to the chemical both via off-gassing and direct contact with your skin.

Formaldehyde has also been shown to cause cancer in animals, and may cause cancer in humans. Other common adverse health effects include:

• fatigue
• skin rash (contact dermatitis)
• severe allergic reactions
• eye, nose, and throat irritation
• wheezing and coughing

Be aware that it takes several washings, with dryings and airings in between, to significantly reduce the amount of formaldehyde found in clothing and other household fabrics like window drapes.

So if you suffer from chemical sensitivities, it is important to pay careful attention to what you buy, especially if it's going next to your skin. Contact dermatitis from clothing can be recognized by a chronic and recurring rash that appears on parts of your body where clothing fits tight.

Because heat and humidity increase the emissions from formaldehyde resins, the American Contact Dermatitis Society warns that areas around waistbands, collars, underarms, the upper back, inner thighs, and back of knees are more prone to chemical-induced skin rashes.

staying young

I was reading a magazine while waiting for my massage today and there was a tidbit of an article about 3 ways to stay young, by Dr Oz. I was delighted to say that reflexology provides all three!

1) Reduce Stress. Reflexology does this by giving you a whole hour to just be. It also stimulates brain wave activity similar to deep meditation, so the body, mind and spirit enter a deep renewal period and recharge. Frequent session of reflexology (about 1 per month) help to teach your body how to relax and maintain that relaxation and adaptability much like bio-feedback training.

2) Increase Sleep. I always tell clients on their first session that I will take their snoring as a compliment. Reflexology is like a major power recharge. A study several years ago found that a 1 hour session of reflexology was like the equivalent of 8 hours of sleep, your body can really respond to this amazing work! Find yourself working long hours trying to meet a deadline, take an hour out to recharge both body and brain. It will save you years of your life.

3) Decrease Toxicity. It is estimated that we are exposed to hundreds of toxins per day. YIKES! Several of those toxins settle in the feet due to gravity and decreased circulation. Reflexology helps remove toxins from your system by stimulating circulation, and gently balancing all your organs through their reflexive points.

To wrap up reflexology not only makes you feels great but it actually makes you younger :D in a round about kinda way!

exercise

do you ever wish someone else could exercise for you and you would get all the benefits?

i'm just sitting here knowing i need to go to the gym and not wanting to disrupt my very snuggly cats nor put in the effort to actually move.

there are just days where it is difficult to be motivated. in my rational brain i know that i will feel so much better after... alright, alright... here i go.

sorry kitties.

houseplants that remove toxins

I just found this post and wanted to share as well as to remember these for future reference...

Placing a phalaenopsis orchid removes toxic xylene from the air which comes from the electrical equipment around you including TVs and computer monitors. UK based Style Wll Save Us (SWSU) has a great book review out on this topic called Eco-friendly Houseplants - 50 Indoor Plants That Purify the Air in Houses and Offices.

I discovered the peace lily absorbs alcohol, acetone, trichloroethylene, benzene and formaldehyde. The lilies are also known to help reduce allergies. No wonder I’ve seen them as ‘get well soon’ arrangements in hospital gift shops. Indoor gardening brings oxygen, beauty, and joy and removes toxic icky particles from the air.

So where do these problems in the air start? Well, trichloroethylene is released in printers. Formaldehyde is traced back to gas cookers, upholstery, wood stains, curtains, floor coverings, varnishes and ceiling tiles. Acetone is in many cosmetics. Benzene is common in carpets, paints, varnishes, adhesives and wallcoverings and alcohol is present in perfumes and mouth wash. The houseplants reviewed purify the air better than any expensive air purifier by absorbing the bad air and sending out oxygen to heal and invigorate.

I was eager to test this fact so I went to look at Trader Joes and found a Dendrobium Orchid which removes alcohol, acetone and formaldehyde from the environment. SWSU mentioned it is an ideal bedroom plant as it’s one of the few plants that works in reverse by releasing oxygen at night whilst absorbing carbon dioxide. I placed it by our bedside and told my partner of the healing effects it has as we rest, and in the morning we actually did feel more refreshed than usual, and it was six a.m!

No matter where you live you can bring houseplants to clear the space for you and your loved ones. Give it a try, it’s natural!

from http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/04/16/healing-houseplants/

Pain Killers

My husband forwarded me this article on pain killers the other day and I have been in shock for the past two weeks trying to come up with some way to file it in my brain.

I understand that people are stressed and I understand that pain is unacceptable in a world that needs you to keep going. But an increase of 96% in users is well... I'm a bit stunned.

Maybe we need to look at our lifestyles and see why we are causing our bodies so much discomfort. Maybe we need to invest in education, body mechanics training, and ergonomic work spaces. I feel strongly that employers should look at this seriously, if your workforce is in so much pain that they are popping pills throughout the day, what is that doing to companies product.

I'd make some pretty speech now about the benefits of alternative therapies, however since heath insurance rarely covers it, and most practitioners aren't available at 3am when your headache is preventing sleep... well i get why more americans are reaching for the pill bottle. It makes me really sad though, and I weep for our poor livers.

To reflex your liver and give it additional support go to your right foot. The liver reflex is located under mid foot (the waist line or skinniest part) to the ball of the foot (diaphragm line) and spans from the 5th zone (smallest toe) to the 1st zone (big toe). When in doubt work the fleshy arch part across the whole foot.

In the hand basically work the palm of the right hand.

Work these areas with hand, tennis/golf ball, or foot roller.

For pain relief, it depends on the area affected, but an easy cure all is to pull/rub your ears. You can easily do this with out attracting notice and cover the whole reflex map in a short time. Move slowly all over the whole ear gently pinching and rubbing it between your fingers, if you find and area that feels really hard or sore stay there and work it a bit longer and see if it shifts.

Bottled Water

Lots of new information coming out on this. I find it funny that people think tap water is not very healthy when it is monitored several times a day and the bottled stuff from coke and pepsi has lower standards and testing results are kept classified. Unfortunately good bottled water is often shipped from far away places, loosing it's environmental and health benefits by the fuel consumed during travel. High end restaurants in San Fransisco and New York are embracing the low environment impact and are cutting imported water from their menu's.

Here's the article
Top 5 reasons to avoid bottled water

SierraClub fact sheet

So raise your glass high, drink up and refill from the tap.

Oil Pulling

This is the most bizarre thing I have read in a long time and yet I totally want to try it out.

A brief summary... There is research being done that you can rid yourself of most toxins and cure lots of chronic problems by swishing oil through your teeth for 20 minutes in the morning before eating. It is not something that needs to be done daily unless you are trying to rid yourself of illness. I am totally draw to try this for some odd reason, so I will let you know what I think of it. For the best results in pulling toxins from the system you must use either 10 ml of sunflower or sesame seed oil.

http://www.oilpulling.com/index.htm

Reflexology Paths

It is almost reflexology awareness week here in Washington, September 23th-30th. If you are in the Seattle area next Saturday September 30th, the Washington Reflexology Association is having and event at the Bastyr University reflexology path from 1pm-5pm. I will be doing free 15 minute reflexology sessions from 1-3pm. Come walk, participate in activities, and enjoy some free reflexology.

Here are some pictures of reflexology paths in Asia: http://www.reflexology-research.com/virtualpathasia.html

If you want to create a path in your back yard here is a website that can get you started:
http://www.reflexology-research.com/howtoreflexpath.htm

This is an article on the Bastyr reflexology path, the address is also listed if you'd like to participate in Saturday's event:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/192053_hcenter23.html