(Episode 77) Depressed? Essential Oils to Help You Navigate Sadness & Depression (Part 1) and (Episode 78) Depressed? Healing Chronic Depression with Essential Oils (Part 2)

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What was your key takeaway from either or both of these episodes? Let us know in the comments below!

Episode 77 Preview

Click here to download a transcript of episode 77.

Globally this is a time of great sadness, anger, and confusion. This level of suffering that is taking place in the world currently is so strong, that as a part of humanity, we are all going to suffer to varying degrees.

When the outer world is in chaos, it’s essential that we cultivate our inner world more deeply. We can create change in the external world by simply changing our individual consciousness. 

In this episode, you’ll learn how to navigate difficult emotions through the use of essential oils.

By using your great privilege and awareness to do inner work, cultivation, learning and self-healing, you can make great contributions to the global healing.

To move through the emotions of grief and sadness, we have to regulate the Qi (energy) of both the Lungs and Liver, as well as the Spleen and Stomach, according to Chinese Medicine. In this episode, you’ll learn why this is important as well as how to do this through the use of essential oils.

You’ll learn all about three specific essential oils — Bergamot, Patchouli, and Cumin — that can help relax your central nervous system to reduce anxiety and depression, and improve sleep and digestion. 

And as you regulate your Qi from the inside to find your light, you can illuminate the darkness in the world.

Resources Mentioned in Episodes 77 & 78

Experience a life of endless possibilities by downloading this free audio guide.

Episode 78 Preview

Click here to download a transcript of episode 78

When you're feeling down, know that there's always a solution to bring you back. There's a lot to learn from these emotional states, but it's also important to have tools to navigate these emotions to learn from these experiences and to create a ripple effect to heal the collective.

Regulating the Liver is essential to reduce depression, as well as fortifying the Spleen and Stomach.

In this episode, we’re going to focus on invigorating the blood. The blood in Chinese Medicine is said to store the emotions, the trauma, the memories.

Invigorating the blood can help liberate you from depression.

We’ll discuss three oils to help invigorate the blood and alleviate depression: Litsea (which can also relieve anxiety), Frankincense (which is known as a wound healer, physically and emotionally) and Sandalwood (which is also an important oil to relax your nervous system).

Just by smelling the essential oils, you’ll notice a shift in your mood.

At [7:15] Dr. Setareh Moafi will guide you through a gentle breathing exercise that’ll help you understand the important relationship between the Lungs and the Liver. This will also help you understand the power of essential oils that we discuss in both episodes 77 and 78 to relax the Liver and allow you to breathe more deeply.

It’s no wonder that breathing is such an essential part of meditation and relaxation. 

At [10:00] Salvador describes an easy acupuncture point that opens the diaphragm and can be used to apply these essential oils to relieve nausea, aid digestion, breathe more deeply and relax your chest for anxiety.

At [11:02] Salvador shares a formula of essential oils you can use to create a bath to help you sleep, reduce anxiety and calm your nervous system at the end of a stressful day.

You’ll also learn how to use the essential oils as a tool to address more chronic depression at [14:24].

At [16:57] you’ll learn the risks of taking a lot of supplements, as well as why it’s so important to limit the amount of information, food and stimulation you take in to prevent and reduce depression.

At [18:15] you’ll learn how coffee and dark chocolate may not be as beneficial as you might think when you’re dealing with anxiety and depression.

The essential oils can be powerful to liberate you from chronic sadness and depression. The work you do on an individual level will enhance the collective and make you more available for what the world is needing right now.

What was your key takeaway from either or both of these episodes? Let us know in the comments below!

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(Episode 76) Moving Through Grief: 3 Essential Oils to Help You Let Go

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Essential oils are allies from nature that defend us from the external world as well as from our internal battles.

Today we’re exploring essential oils in relation to the Metal Element. You’ll learn how imbalances in personality and emotional state can be harmonized using essential oils.

Essential Oils for the Metal Element

Essential oils can help us when we feel weak and vulnerable to the elements, including bacteria, viruses, wind and cold. They can also help us with social factors when feeling uncomfortable in a social situation. 

These oils can help us support the functions of the Lungs and Large Intestine, the organs related to the Metal Element, which relates to our immunity.

Many of them help when you’re having difficulty with inspiration in terms of your breathing but also they help with feeling a lack of creativity; when you feel despondent so you can feel more inspired.

Grief could come from a loss of any kind – work, friend, partner, etc. 

Essential oils are allies that fortify your soul. Each of the Five Element organ systems have a specific soul expression. The soul of the Lungs is called Po. 

Three primary souls inhabit the body – Liver stores Hun, Shen holds onto your experiences and direct experiences with Spirit, and Po is the Corporeal Body which is the most dense aspect of your soul that helps you feel grounded and embodied.

Essential oils related to the Metal Element will help you feel more grounded and more whole within yourself. This is associated with Wei Qi, which is produced by the Lungs via the Spleen and Stomach, and circulates on the exterior to help us defend against external factors as well as social factors that may make us feel vulnerable.

The Lungs, Grief & Self-Definition

One of the virtues of the Lungs is this idea of inspiration. Inspiration can relate to inhalation, taking a deep breath, but it can also relate to motivation and the inspiration to create and be alive.

The first breath you take separates you from your mother and gives you a distinct self-definition. Your final breath takes you out of your body and into the next world.

When the Lungs are weak or stagnant, we start to feel sadness, grief and especially apathy, which is the opposite of inspiration. One thing that’s important to do is strengthen and boost Qi of the Lungs and also clear the stagnation that comes from phlegm in the Lungs that makes us feel more stuck in our lives. (You can learn more about the relationship between the Lungs and grief in this article).

During Autumn, it’s important to moisten the Lungs (we talked about this in episode 74) to combat the dryness that’s common during this time.

On a psychological level, as you nourish Lung Yin, you’re also nourishing your sense of self so it helps you feel more grounded within yourself. The Po of the Lungs is this dense energy that helps you feel more grounded and whole within yourself and more present in the moment.

The stronger your Lungs, the stronger your sense of identity and your sense of embodiment.

Essential Oils & The Final Transition: Death

At [10:00] Salvador describes the recent loss of his father and how he worked with essential oils during the last five days of his life to let go of the Po and fully transition. Salvador describes in detail the beautiful final days and moments of his father’s journey.

3 Essential Oils to Help You Cope with Grief

1. Pine

   Pine essential oil is a warming, drying and spicy mucolytic essential oil that’s commonly used by Native Americans. Pine essential oil helps to strengthen your Qi and is one of the most powerful oils to clear Cold Phlegm (as discussed in Episode 75).

   Psychologically, Pine essential oil invigorates the Po by opening the chest, helping you feel less oppressed and giving you self-confidence.

   Pine reduces melancholy, pessimism, shame and blame by improving self-image. It’s also an excellent oil to use when you’re feeling stuck.

   Pine essential oil is also a great oil to help you when you’re feeling burdened with guilt and to help you let go, which is the greatest virtue of the Lungs. 

2. Clary Sage

   Clary Sage essential oil is an uplifting floral oil that’s often used for hormonal balance. Clary Sage essential oil is warming, dry, boosts Qi and also circulates Qi.

   It helps when you feel wired and tired, is uplifting and helps you feel more inspired. It’s also an essential oil that helps with sadness and grief and to support the Po. 

3. Cypress

   Cypress essential oil is perhaps the most important oil to use when you’re dealing with grief and loss. The Greeks planted cypress trees in graveyards to help the deceased souls in times of grief.

   Cypress is astringent, so it’s commonly used when there’s leakage of Qi such as excessive sweating or urination. Cypress is antispasmodic and mucolytic.

   It’s an especiialy important essential oil when someone is suffering from grief and when stuck in grief.

Remember that sadness and grief can weaken the Lungs over time, so during times of transition it’s especially important to support the Lungs with essential oils and time in nature to avoid compromising the Lungs.

Essential oils can provide support for your immune system, your mood, as well as to help you move through times when you feel stuck.

As Dr. Setareh states: “Nature is always there to support you.”

What did you think of this episode? Did you find these essential oils helpful during this challenging time?

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Download the Microcosmic & Macrocosmic Orbit Meditations at ⁠acenterfornaturalhealing.com/shop⁠.

Strengthen your immune system, restore your gut health, and improve joint mobility and circulation with our unique line of expertly formulated probiotics, digestive enzymes and proteolytic enzymes at www.aharabotanics.com. Use promo code HEALTHY10 for 10% off your first order!

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(Episode 59) Creating Space: 3 Practices to Allow New Energy Into Your Life this New Year

Once you’ve listened, scroll down to the comments and let us know — how will YOU create space in your life this new year?

With the onset of the lunar new year and the beginning of the Year of the Water Rabbit, creating space is essential to allow new energy to enter your life.

In this episode you’ll learn how to create space in your physical environment, your body and mind to attract new possibilities in this new year and beyond.

The Year of the Water Rabbit

The Chinese New Year starts with the first new moon of the year, which in 2023 was on January 22nd. The change of the zodiac occurs based on the first solar term (the beginning of the 24 solar terms), which is on February 4th.

The solar terms are based on the elliptical orbit of the Earth around the Sun, divided into fifteen degree segments. These solar terms also determine the seasons. According to the luni-solar calendar, February 4th is the start of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and the Vernal Equinox is actually the middle of the Spring season.

We are transitioning from the Year of the Water Tiger in 2022 to the Year of the Water Rabbit.

Since the Rabbit’s natural element is Wood and according to the Five Elements, Water nourishes Wood, this year of the Water Rabbit is considered to be a harmonious year.

In order to fully experience the benefits of this new year, it’s important to make changes to create space in your life.

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How to Create Space

Creating space in your environment can be done first through decluttering your home and office, and getting rid of the things you don’t need in your life.

One of the methods we like to employ for this is rooted in the KonMari Method from the book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. In it, Marie encourages that you go through each category of your belongings (clothes, shoes, jewelry, makeup, kitchenware, etc.) and determine which items ‘spark joy.’

Anything that doesn’t bring you joy when you’re in its presence should either be discarded or given away.

This allows you to really scale back on the extra clutter that you don’t even enjoy having in your life!

We also recommend that every year you try to get rid of at least 30% of all your belongings. It may sound like a lot, but you’ll be amazed at how much extra clutter accumulates over the course of a year!

The next thing to be mindful of is your breathing.

Inhalation allows you to draw in fresh energy, while your exhalation allows you to let go and release toxins from your body.

When your breathing is shallow, not only does this inhibit you from letting go, but it also inhibits the Qi from effectively flowing throughout your body.

Ultimately, the way energy flows in your body will be reflected in your life.

Taking deep breaths allows you to maintain the movement of energy and blood, thereby creating space physically and emotionally.

In terms of the physical body, creating space requires the movement of Yin stagnation and this can be done vibrational through Water Breathing, which has been discussed in past episodes. Salvador demonstrates this breathing in this episode.

Emotionally, releasing emotional stagnation requires moving the blood of the Pericardium Luo, which is done by tapping the inner arm, which is explained in this episode.

Overall, you want to make sure to create space in your physical environment as well as your body through deep breathing and in your emotions through simple exercises that free the stagnation physically, mentally and emotionally.

As you create space, you allow for new and endless possibilities to come into your life.

Scroll down to the comments and let us know — how will YOU create space in your life this new year?

Resources mentioned in this episode

How to Do Ujjayi Breathing

How to Attract Endless Possibilities

(Episode 35) A Secret Trick to Prevent a Cold

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below—did you get a similar advice from your family growing up?

Click here to watch the original video of this episode.

Growing up I could hardly get to the front door to go outside without hearing my mother, my grandmother or one of my aunts yell at me to put on a jacket.

You might relate—the tradition of wearing a jacket, coat or scarf to protect you from catching a cold when you go outside crosses over many cultures.

The idea isn’t just to avoid getting cold, but more importantly we’re told that keeping your body warm will help prevent catching a cold.

Western medicine mostly writes this theory off as an old wive’s tale. Naturally, colds come from viruses, not from a strong breeze, right?

The answer isn’t so simplistic.

According to the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic, one of the most prominent texts of Chinese Medicine, “Wind is the chief [cause] of the one hundred diseases. When it comes to changes and transformations, other diseases result…[whatever] sets in does so because of Wind Qi.” (Unschuld, 2011, 631). 

Wind is therefore considered to be one of the greatest challenges to healing according to Chinese Medicine. Wind can be associated with acute diseases like colds, flus, allergic reactions, and even chronic health disorders. 

But how in the world can a breeze, or Wind Qi, cause illness?

Well, it’s because of how pathology can enter and move through your body’s meridian system and the protective barrier that constitutes your immune system.

Your Immune System: The Sinew Meridians & Your Wei Qi

Your Sinew Meridians are a system of channels that cover the entire surface of your body and are responsible for bringing information from your external environment to your senses. 

Most importantly, the Sinew Meridians are conduits of Wei Qi, or Defensive Qi, which protects you from your external environment much like your immune system.

When confronted by Cold, Wind or Dampness - all of which are considered pathological factors in Chinese Medicine - these meridians instigate a defense that manifests as sneezing, sweating or a fever. 

The pathological factor of Wind most easily and commonly enters your body through the back of your neck.

If the Bladder Sinew Meridian, which runs along your back and is your first line of defense, is not able to create a barrier and block the pathological factor (via a tight neck, sneeze and slight sweat), it enters the Tai Yang zone (Bladder & Small Intestine sinews).

If the pathological factor continues to challenge your body and penetrates the Sinew Meridians, it can become a cold that impacts your sinuses and respiratory system.

How You Can Support Your Wei Qi

To protect your immunity, it’s essential to prevent the leakage of your Yang Qi, which keeps your body warm. Wearing a hat, gloves, socks and shoes are basic ways to keep yourself warm.

One of the simplest things you can do to protect the Sinew Meridians from invasion by external pathology is to wear a scarf, especially when it’s cold or windy.

By covering the back of your neck, a scarf helps prevent Wind from entering an important area that’s transited by the first protectors of your Wei Qi in the Sinew Meridian system — your Bladder Sinew Meridian.

Wearing a scarf armors this first line of defense to ensure that the factor of Wind doesn’t go into your body to become a cold or another type of virus.

Even if it’s warm and windy, you can still protect yourself by wearing a light scarf.

The health of your Kidneys is also vital to maintain strong Wei Qi, or defensive Qi, so it’s also essential to keep three additional areas of your body warm—your lower back near your kidneys, your lower abdomen where your kidney energy is stored and your feet through which your Kidney meridian runs.

In essence, keeping your neck contained by wearing a scarf, and making sure your lower back, abdomen, hands and feet are warm helps protect your Wei Qi and immune system so as to prevent compromising your wellbeing during cold seasons.

Therefore, if you go out on a windy, cold day unprotected, the potential to catch a cold is not a myth.

Now that you know, I’d love to hear in the comments how you’re going to take action with these insights—what advice you got from your family growing up?

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(Episode 32) Two Surprisingly Simple Ways to Boost Your Immune System

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. & Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac.

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments which tip did you find most helpful?

Click here to watch the original video of this episode.

While Autumn is the most important time of year to support your Lungs, your Lung health is essential to support your immune system year round. Here are two less common tips to strengthen your Lungs and support your immune system during Autumn and beyond.

Tip #1: Hydrate

Autumn is the season of the Metal element, which relates to the Lungs, the Large Intestine (or colon) and skin. Your skin is your body’s largest detoxification organ (byway of sweating) and therefore your most important defense against external pathogenic factors, or anything in the environment that can compromise your immunity.

Your skin is also an extension of your Lungs and what Chinese Medicine refers to as Lung Yin. Lung Yin is comprised of substance and fluids so if your Lung Yin is dry, your skin will be dry too. 

Just as the skin detoxifies your body through sweating, the Large Intestine also supports detoxification through elimination of waste. 

The Lungs, Large Intestine and skin are associated with the Metal element and the Fall season and each requires proper hydration to work efficiently.

If your colon is dry, you may experience constipation with dry, hard stools and if your Lungs are too dry you may experience dry cough, lips and mouth as well as dry skin.

Simply drinking adequate amounts of water helps hydrate these organs, but it’s also important to eat hydrating foods such as soups (try Mung Bean & Turnip Soup) and stews as well as to steam and boil rather than fry or bake foods (which increase dryness) to support hydration even more. Congree is also a great hydrating food (recipe here).

Since most of the filtered water we drink nowadays is stripped of the minerals that help maintain proper fluid balance in the body, you may need to add some naturally processed salt to your drinking water to help your body retain fluids, especially if you notice your body feels and looks dry. 

If you’re concerned about salt because of high blood pressure, be sure to use naturally processed salt such as Himalayan pink salt or Celtic sea salt. Pink Himalayan salt is higher in potassium and lower in sodium than Celtic salt and may actually help lower blood pressure and reduce palpitations and heart arrhythmias. 

Managing proper hydration is the first step to keeping your immune system functioning optimally by supporting the production of your defensive Qi, known as Wei Qi. 

Wei Qi circulates along your skin’s surface at night to protect you from environmental factors that can challenge your immune system. At night, your Wei Qi withdraws internally to help your have a good night’s sleep.

Tip #2: Diffuse Immune Boosting Essential Oils

Essential oils provide potent support for immune and metabolic functions. They strengthen the Lung Qi to effectively combat fatigue, low immunity and asthma. 

Evergreen essential oils, including Pine, Black Spruce, Cypress and Balsam Fir, are important immune boosting oils. 

These oils can be used in an essential oil diffuser to strengthen your immune system and prevent colds and flus during the Fall season. 

If you have pets, be especially cautious with diffusing any essential oils, especially those like Pine which can be toxic to dogs.

If you tend to get sick during this season, you can consider using Eucalyptus oils to clear congestion in your lungs especially during the acute stage of an infection. 

Eucalyptus Radiata is a good all purpose ear, nose and throat oil and very good for viruses and can be combined with Eucalyptus Citriodora or Eucalyptus Globulus to combat infections. Diffusing essential oils, particularly those extracted from evergreens, can help strengthen your Lungs and clear your home and office to protect you from colds, flus and other viruses.

Summary

Hydrating your Lungs and supporting your body’s immune function is imperative during the Fall season to protect yourself from the plethora of colds and flus that tend to arise during this time of year. By incorporating essential oils and proper hydration, you’ll effectively support your health as we approach the colder Winter season.

*Here are some dietary tips to provide you with additional support for your Lungs & immune system.

Please note: These health tips are for educational purposes only. Please consult your medical professional for health advice specific for your individual needs.

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