(Episode 19) Beyond Breast Health: Thermography as a Tool for Self-Healing

May 19, 2021

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

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below — what do you think of this alternative tool to empower your health?

Our guest today is Dr. Therese Walsh-Van Keuren, a licensed acupuncturist who received her Ph.D. from the American University of Complementary Medicine and studied extensively with 88th generation Daoist Priest Dr. Jeffrey Yuen. Dr. Therese Walsh-Van Keuren is an accomplished researcher, author and teacher. She currently practices natural medicine in Los Gatos, California.

What is Thermography?

Thermography is used as an early detection tool that uses heat sensors to image blood flow in body tissues. Originally used by biologists to detect life forms under land or sea, the technology was later modified for clinical settings.

Though thermography can be used to scan the entire body, its usefulness is often attributed to monitoring breast tissue irregularities and possibly detecting early signs of breast cancer. Among other things, thermography has also been shown to detect early signs of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. In essence, thermography detects anomalies in the body that shouldn’t be present.

Although thermography is a great tool, it’s not a replacement for mammograms. As a less invasive alternative, thermography offers a safer option to monitor and track irregularities in breast tissues over time. If for instance, thermography results are showing irregularities a mammogram may become necessary to corroborate thermography findings.

Chinese Medicine & inflammation

Since thermography essentially detects inflammation, it can also serve as a powerful tool from the Chinese medicine perspective.

According to Chinese Medicine, inflammation or heat often stem from the Stomach & Liver organ systems, both of which run through the breasts. Since the Stomach is part of the gastrointestinal system, it’s important to be conscious to cultivate a low inflammatory diet.

Thermography can offer guidance as a preventative tool in detecting inflammation in these regions. This is especially true for the liver since inflammation on the breast can also be a warning signal that the liver is congested.

Although thermography can help detect inflammation in the body, naturally healing the inflammation requires patience and understanding of the underlying causes. As a next step, it’s important to find the tools and resources necessary in order to address the inflammation. Dr. Walsh-Van Keuren works with her patients to develop herbal formulas and dietary changes known to help reduce inflammation and help the body heal.

As a holistic medicine practitioner, Dr. Walsh-Van Keuren emphasizes on the importance of treating the human body as an extension of nature. For this reason, it’s very important to address the entire human being and their emotional and physiological stressors in order to bring about healing and harmony in the body.

Tips to reduce inflammation

Lymphatic massage occasionally in order to increase blood flow in your breast tissues.
Increase movement — shake, move or jump in order to increase circulation.
See an acupuncture practitioner in order to address underlying causes of inflammation.

References

Dr. Therese Walsh-Van Keuren’s website: truechi.com (thermography offered once per quarter)

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below — what do you think of this alternative tool to empower your health?

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(Episode 18) Stop Self-Sabotage & Cultivate Healthy Relationships

May 12, 2021

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

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below — Which part of the conversation with Lisa & Steve Smith you found most helpful or enlightening?

We’re delighted to welcome our dear friends, husband and wife team Steve & Lisa Smith to The Natural Healing Podcast.

Steve Smith is a marriage and family therapist in the field for over 15 years working with couples and individuals on their spiritual-emotional growth and relationships. He’s also the author of The Enlightened Relationship: Mastering the Metaphysics of Love. As a former Stanford football quarterback, Steve has had a transformational journey into the world of therapy and personal development.

Lisa Watts Smith has been a shaman for over a decade and has been in corporate event planning with her own company, An Affair 2 Remember, for over 25 years. Recently, Lisa has become a certified Positive Intelligence coach, which she uses as a platform to help others with their personal growth and development.

Steve Smith on Cultivating a Healthy Relationship

Originally from Louisiana, Steve was recruited to play football at Stanford and majored in Economics, thinking his path was in the business world until discovering it wasn’t in alignment with what he wanted to do. Meanwhile, he experienced a personal transformation as he began to heal his inner wounds.

As he delved more into psychology and got a master’s degree, he explored energy and metaphysics discovering that they are inseparable.

Our beliefs, emotions and thoughts are being transmitted unconsciously, and this effects our relationships. Thus issues in our relationships can manifest from our thoughts and emotions.

Relationships are somewhat of a trap where we often look at the other to see what he or she is doing and look away from ourselves.

The key is to turn back to yourself, look inside to see if you’re holding onto judgments, resentments and things that are co-creating problems in a relationship.

Emotional state will also dictate a relationship’s health so it’s important to regulate negative or unwanted emotions. Although a picture perfect relationship isn’t attainable, having the tools to face challenges in a relationship is invaluable.

Lisa Smith’s Journey to Shamanism & Positive Intelligence Coaching

Lisa’s calling to energy healing led her to travel all over the world to train with shamans which she now uses to help people address energy imbalances and self-sabotaging behaviors in all aspects of their lives.

In addition to energy healing, Lisa also practices Positive Intelligence to help people attain self-actualization and emotional control.

Key Takeaways

As healers and therapists, Steve & Lisa Smith share the challenges of dealing with their own relationship expectations and expectations of others. Although every relationship comes with its own challenges, ultimately focusing on extending compassion for the self and the partner often leads to a mutual healing experience and self-development.

Harboring emotions like anger or sadness often result in physical ailment so it’s not surprising to hear people with pent-up anger develop a toxic liver or a broken-hearted individual suffer from a heart attack. One of the ways these trapped emotions can be overcome is through awareness and focus on healing instead.

The most important tips they offer are to:

Focus on developing routines that focus on the self, especially as you start your day.
Practice self-forgiveness and acceptance to open the door to healing.

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below — Which part of the conversation with Lisa & Steve Smith you found most helpful or enlightening?

References:

Steve Smith’s website: theenlightenedmind.net/

Lisa Smith’s website: lisawattssmith.com and wattspq.com

(Episode 17) Heal Anxiety by Healing Your Past with Esteban Molina

May 5, 2021

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

Ever had a past life experience? — listen to the episode & let us know about it in the comments below.

In this episode our guest Esteban Molina, a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist shares his journey into the healing arts, from studying psychology in his native country of Colombia to helping others transform their anxiety and depression through his work with hypnotherapy.

As a regression therapist, Esteban uses his training with Dr. Brian Weiss and his background in psychology to help people improve their wellbeing.

Esteban credits his inspiration into the healing arts to his grandfather. Although he passed away when Esteban was just a child, the deep connection he continued to feel guided him to the healing arts.

It wasn’t until Esteban was 14 that he experienced regression therapy. As he listened to a cassette recording of past life regression by Dr. Brian Weiss—a renowned psychiatrist and specialist in past life regression—Esteban felt an unexplained shift in himself. He went on to gain a degree in psychology and eventually trained with Dr. Brain Weiss in past life regression therapy.

Past life regression uses hypnosis to take people back in time and explore their early experiences. The practice is rooted in the belief that we experience several lifetimes and through exploring our past life experiences, we gain a better understanding of our present life situation and difficulties.

Esteban, in particular, focuses on using past experiences therapeutically in order to help people understand and handle the emotional stress or difficulties they’re experiencing currently.

By shedding light or bringing consciousness to our past history, past life regression helps heal past trauma and teaches us to live in the present.

Esteban also practices progression therapy, which can take people into future lifetimes. The practice is similar to past life regression but it aims to help people gain confidence in themselves and the future.

Aside from hypnosis, there are many different ways to access or retrieve past life memories.

You may have experienced déjà vu, a sudden change in emotion or felt a connection with a person you’ve just met. These experiences require reflection and thought rather than dismissal. They may signal a memory from a past life.

Ever had a past life experience? — listen to the episode & let us know about it in the comments below.

Book mention: Many Lives, Many Masters by Dr. Brian Weiss

Esteban Molina’s website: coreforhealing.com/

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(Episode 16) Emergency Acupuncture and Hydration Tips You Need to Know

April 14, 2021

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

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below — What’s the greatest insight you took away from this episode?

In this episode, Salvador shares a recent traumatic but profound personal experience that demonstrates the true healing power of acupuncture and proper hydration.

After finding his father unresponsive in the back of the car, Salvador performed emergency acupuncture, focusing on a few crucial acupuncture points that ultimately helped his father regain consciousness.

After being evaluated by medical doctors, it was also determined that his father was severely dehydrated. Through proper hydration, Salvador’s father has seen tremendous improvement in his overall health and energy— even engaging in activities he hasn’t for months!

Emergency Acupuncture Points to Know

Below you’ll find the emergency acupuncture points that Salvador used to treat his father. Listen to the episode for details and to learn more.

St-36 (Stomach 36, called "Zu San Li", meaning 'Leg Three Miles') - located four fingers width below the patella on the lateral side of the tibia.

Du-26 (named 'Shui Gou' for Water Trough) - located above the midpoint of the philtrum below the nostrils. This point is also called 'Ren Zhong' meaning Human Center for it's association as a point that connects the central Yin and Yang channels.

Ki-1 (Kidney 1, "Yong Quan', meaning 'Bubbling Spring') - Ki-1 is the only Jing-Well point not located at the tip of a digit. It’s location is below the ball of the foot, between the 2nd and 3rd toes.

Jing-Well ('Jing' meaning 'Well' for it's correspondence to an area where Qi rises up to the surface of the Meridians). There are Jing-Well points at the tip of each toe and finger at the base of the nail bed. Look for the puffiest, reddest or darkest areas to apply pressure.

What is proper hydration?

After finding out his father’s condition was likely caused by dehydration, Dr. Setareh & Salvador emphasize the importance of proper hydration—which is more than drinking enough water. Proper hydration means drinking quality water that includes the vital trace minerals and electrolytes that our cells need to carry out important functions.

Certain water purification processes like reverse osmosis strips water of its minerals. One way to remedy the insufficiency that’s caused from stripping these minerals is to add the minerals back to your diet with sea salt, which naturally contains trace minerals that are needed for thyroid, adrenal and immune functions.

Darker salts such as Celtic sea salt and pink Himalayan salt are especially rich in trace minerals. Standard white sea salt found in most grocery stores are also a good source of trace minerals, however, keep in mind that many are bleached and processed.

Table salt, on the other hand, is the most denatured and least nutritious salt available.

When consumed, your body tries to keep the toxic chemicals contained in table salt away from your heart—and this is primarily why doctors often recommend patients with hypertension to avoid salt.

The minerals contained in healthy salts help hydrate and alkalize the body, balance potassium-sodium ratios and provide essential electrolytes. From a Chinese Medicine perspective, trace minerals help anchor Yang Qi, which supports the Liver and provides vital energy.

Another way to effectively hydrate your body is to consume more soups. One example is Congee, which is a staple in Chinese cuisine and we’ve previously shared its benefits and recipe here.

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below — What’s the greatest insight you took away from this episode?

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(Episode 15) How Resistance to Change Can Cause Illness: 3 Ways to Temper Wind & Protect Your Health

April 7, 2021

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

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below — where are you resisting change that could be creating Wind in your life?

The only constant in life is change and yet change is something we all at times resist, however inadvertently. In Chinese Medicine, this resistance is said to create Wind in our life. More broadly, Wind sets the foundation for what is referred to as the “100 Diseases” or the root of most health problems.

Before delving into the pathogenic factors of Wind, it’s important to define Wind. How is Wind defined from the Chinese Medicine perspective? In nature we observe wind shake trees and rattle leaves. In the same way, Wind causes disruption in our body—leading to tremors, shaking and dizziness, among other things. Associated with Spring and the Wood element organ of Liver, Wind disruption often takes form as nerve irritability.

Wind related symptoms become more apparent during important changes in our lives. It’s the resistance we experience to the change as we become uncomfortable or uneasy.

Seasonal change from the very Yin state of Winter to the active Yang season of Spring also introduces discomfort if we don’t adjust well to the shift in seasons.

Since Spring naturally brings a lot of Wind, we also witness some common health problems during this time. As a Yang and active phenomenon, Wind can cause allergies, itching and dryness. Other conditions like sciatica and pinched nerves are also common problems associated with Wind. Extreme state of Wind can exhibit paralysis or even stroke.

Because disruptions caused by Wind are so widespread, it’s crucial to temper and remedy Wind.

3 tips to Help Temper Wind & Protect Yourself from Dis-ease

Become more aware of your circumstances and how you’re handling life situations. Are you resisting or becoming frustrated in your life? These are important questions to ask in order to increase your awareness. This awareness can help you let go of the urge to control every aspect of your life and become more accepting of experiences with simplicity so as not to allow mental, physical or emotional discomfort.
Temper and manage your emotions in order to avoid extreme aggression. Dietary changes like avoiding coffee, alcohol and other stimulants can help cool down your nervous system as well.
Manage stress. If there are aspects of your life that are causing great stress, learn to deal with them if they’re within your control—such as leaving a stressful job or relationship. For stressful situations out of your control, gather and look for tools to help you feel at ease. This is especially important to control your cortisol level as too much cortisol in the system can lead to development of Wind symptoms that can disrupt your health.
Acupuncture is also a great tool that’s beneficial in inducing a calming effect on the mind and the nervous system. To learn more about acupuncture, click here.

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below — where are you resisting change that could be creating Wind in your life?

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(Episode 14) Balancing the Wood Element Archetype

March 31, 2021

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

Once you’ve listened, click here to take our Five Element Personality quiz to find out which of the Five Element personality types, then leave your insights in the comments below.

Wood Energy

The Wood element naturally dominates the Spring season. In Japan, the Wood element is often called “tree” and this is fitting because trees ascend to the sky. Likewise, Wood energy ascends its Yang Qi or energy upwards to the head. When this Yang Qi is exuberant in spring, it can send too much Qi to the head causing allergies, hypertension, dizziness and headaches as the Yang Qi exerts a lot of heat when it becomes very active.

The emotions associated with Wood can also become more prevalent in Yang seasons of Spring/Summer, especially when Qi is pent-up. In extreme cases, we witness rage, anger and frustration as signs of overexertion of Yang Qi.

For these reasons, it’s important to address the energetics of the liver and gallbladder since they’re the main organs associated with the Wood energy.

3 simple ways to balance Wood energy:

The liver tends to accumulate a lot of heat. An effective way to counter some of the heat is through liver detoxification. Simply preparing cooked leafy vegetables or supplementing your diet with dandelion and burdock root can also help cool down the liver.
Avoid or reduce substances that may add to the heat, such as alcohol and coffee
Practice meditation—especially practices focusing on improving the breathing mechanism that can help cool and relax the nervous system.

Yin Wood & Yang Wood Personalities

We can also look at the Wood element from the Yin/Yang perspective.

A Yang Wood personality will often be expressive—they’re the leaders and commanders of society.

A Yin Wood personality, on the other hand, will often be intelligent but shy and less assertive with their dreams.

While wonderful when Wood personalities are in balance, like all Five Element personality types, off balance Wood personality types can become intolerable. Yang Wood type can become angry or temperamental when out of balance and Yin Wood type will resort to withdrawing and excessive daydreaming.

Although each of us possess a dominant personality type among the Five Elements, we’re all comprised of all five elements. Our individual personalities arise from the unique combination of the elements and it may change over time.

As the influence of the environment around us increases—especially during childhood—we may experience a shift in our personality. A person who was more Wood as a child may be reshaped by parents or those around them if they’re told to suppress some of the emotions as they are expressing their natural personalities.

Certain environments may also force us to take on attributes that are more suitable such as CEOs that strongly favor the Yang leadership and assertive personalities.

Tips to balance Wood personalities

Yang Wood types can temper bright clothing with pastel colors to express themselves.
Taking public speaking classes or expressive activities may help Yin Wood types that are feeling out of balance.
Exercise is generally a great way to keep Wood types in balance. Yang Wood types will find more gentle forms of exercise such as yoga and Tai Chi helpful while Yin Wood types will benefit from participating in more active sports such as martial arts.
Massage, acupuncture and meditation are beneficial to both Yin and Yang Wood personality types as a way to relax the nervous system and temper the common emotions witnessed in those with Wood energy imbalance.

Once you’ve listened to the episode, click here to take our Five Element Personality quiz to find out which of the Five Element personality types you most resonate with and leave your insights in the comments below.

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(Episode 13) Persian New Year & The Magic of Springtime

March 24, 2021

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

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below — how do you like to celebrate the onset of this new season?

Sofreh Haftseen is a traditional altar created to symbolize the bounty of the new year. At least seven items starting with “s” are included on the Sofreh, including sabzeh (sprouts), samanoo (wheat germ pudding), sombol (hyacinth), sekeh (coins to s… — Sofreh Haftseen is a traditional altar created to symbolize the bounty of the new year. At least seven items starting with “s” are included on the Sofreh, including *sabzeh* (sprouts), *samanoo (*wheat germ pudding), *sombol* (hyacinth), *sekeh* (coins to symbolize wealth), *seer* (garlic), and *senjed* (Persian olives).

The Persian New Year, or Norouz, translates to ‘new day’ and is marked by the Spring equinox. It’s a beautiful celebration of new beginnings and opportunities that’s rooted in Zoroastrian and Iranian heritages but celebrated across a diverse range of cultures and communities in Asia.

On the eve of the last Wednesday before the new year, families gather for a celebration known as Chaharshanbeh Souri. This purification ritual occurs with a mantra family members and friends state as they jump over fire in the backyard: zardiyeh man az to, sorkhiyeh to az man, which essentially means that I give you my ill health in return for your light, warmth and healing.

Preparation for Norouz starts at home. Families organize and deep clean their homes, removing clutter and getting ready for upcoming celebrations with family and friends. A special altar called Sofreh Haftseen is created to display seven symbolic items starting with the Farsi letter “S” to represent everything that you want to bring into the new year and beyond. Some of these items can include seer, or garlic, to symbolize good health and ridding of evil, seeb, or apple, for beauty, and sabzeh, or sprouted grains or beans, symbolizing growth and rebirth.

Norouz is a 13-day celebration that ends with Sizdeh Bedar, an outing on the 13th day to parks in order to air out and get rid of bad energy from homes. Another tradition on the last day of celebration is to take the sabzeh, or sprouted grains, to a stream of running water and make a wish as you release the grains into the water. This symbolizes the release of the past and the welcoming of the new season.

In Chinese philosophy, this transition to Spring—from the Yin season of Winter to the very Yang season of Spring—is also witnessed in a shift in our energy level. We go from the dormant and quiet season of Yin to the active spring/summer seasons of Yang.

The concept of the Five Elements is also relevant as the Wood Element, representing growth and new beginnings, is marked by the Spring season. Providing momentum and drive, Wood supports the necessary energy to push through obstacles and pursue new goals during springtime so it becomes an ideal time to initiate new projects and hobbies.

Practices like decluttering and clearing your home or “Spring cleaning” can spark inspiration and restore the flow of Liver Qi to support your body and life.

It’s also an especially important time to eat leafy green vegetables and avoid or reduce foods that overheat the liver—such as alcohol and coffee.

We hope this episode inspires you to welcome new beginnings.

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below — how do you like to celebrate the onset of this new season?

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(Episode 12) The True Secret to Healing

March 17, 2021

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below — how is the metaphor showing up in your journey to healing?

Today we’re discussing the topic of healing — what does it really mean to heal?

In Western medicine, the focus is on symptoms whereas in Classical Chinese Medicine the focus is on so many different aspects, including diet, lifestyle and habits.

So healing goes far beyond just removing our symptoms. It’s more about a total recovery or a shift.

Anytime you experience an illness or dis-ease, it’s an opportunity to change something. Illness arises in the physical body most often during times of crisis or stress or when we’re not paying attention.

Sometimes the stressful circumstances are not in our control, so there’s no shame about not being well. But when you’re not well, it’s an opportunity to look closely at all aspects of wellness — your mind, your body, your spirit; your total health.

Western medicine focuses on the eradication of symptoms, which is especially important for crisis and emergency. But Western medicine has shortcomings when it comes to the treatment of chronic degenerative diseases like diabetes, arthritis and conditions where the body’s breaking down. Western medicine’s focus is to attack the pathology or to suppress the inflammation whereas Classical Chinese Medicine looks at where the imbalance is rooted and how to build up the body.

In order to heal you have to examine what’s happening in the body, mind and spirit.

Hippocrates was a Greek physician often recognized as the father of medicine who established the Hippocratic School of Medicine through which the practice of medicine was established in the world.

Hippocrates believed that diseases occurred through natural causes and not just because of superstition as many before him believed.

He stated: “It is more important to know what sort of person has a disease than to know what sort of disease a person has.”

This is the foundation of healing but is often not the focus of Western medicine, which focuses on the disease state itself.

Our teacher, Dr. Jeffrey Yuen, often mentions that it’s important to look at the metaphor when you have an illness. For example, if you’re having throat problems, is there something you’re not expressing in your life?

The important thing when you’re examining the metaphor is to make sure you’re not feeling shame or guilt but rather using this new understanding to become empowered as you become aware of the patterns.

Getting diagnosed with a condition is an opportunity to awaken to how we’ve been living our life, so it’s an opportunity to change and have a better life.

In order to heal, you have to become different from the person who contracted the disease.

You have to change your behaviors, your diet, your mindset, and your lifestyle. And this is one of the main challenges with healing.

In the process of healing, it’s common to experience a healing crisis in which things get worse before they get better. This is especially common with skin issues, which can erupt during the course of treatment.

Listen to the episode to learn more about the true secret to healing, as well as examples that can help you understand the root of your dis-ease and the gifts of the process so you can unveil a healthier, more empowered state.

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below — how is the metaphor showing up in your journey to healing?

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(Episode 11) 3 tips to Have a Healthy Transition Into Spring

March 10, 2021

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below — what’s the biggest insight you took away from this episode?

The transition between each season is known in Japanese as the Doyo period. According to one of the foremost classical texts of Chinese Medicine, Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen, this 18-day period leading up to each Solstice or Equinox is one of the most important times to make dietary and lifestyle adjustments to support your health.

In Five Element theory this period is governed by the Earth element, which is why the Earth element organs — the Spleen, Stomach and Pancreas — are most vulnerable to imbalance and disease, and therefore especially need protection and support during this time.

People who already have Earth element-related problem need to take extra care as cases such as diabetes, ulcers and gastrointestinal issues in general can all worsen during this time if their lifestyle is not supported.

During the Doyo period in particular it's important to eat meals at regular times and without distractions. Staying away from too much sweet food and other damp-producing foods like dairy and fried foods is also important to keep the Spleen and Stomach energies in healthy balance.

The Spleen, as the largest lymphatic organ in the body, indicates this is a good time for acupuncture and massage to support lymphatic circulation. If you only get these treatments a few times a year, it's best to do them during the Doyo periods.

The Spleen is especially important as it supports your immune system.

It’s also an organ that assists in the transformation of food into energy and thoughts into purpose, so a healthy Spleen will support you to stay focused on your goals and be able to transform your dreams into reality.

Weakness in the Spleen can result in problems with digestion and elimination and cause the body to accumulate dampness. Dampness is a fungal terrain, often resulting from a diet heavy in carbohydrates, fried foods, dairy and sugar (even in the form of fruits). A fungal terrain can also develop from using various drugs such as antibiotics, sulfa drugs, chemotherapy, birth control pills, corticosteroids, antacids and acid blocking medications.

Dampness is reflected in our lives through the feeling of being stuck or lacking clarity. Dampness is also associated with psychological imbalances such as Obsessive Compulsiveness Disorder and hoarding.

The Earth element organs thrive on a simple diet based on warm unprocessed foods, a calm mind, and a regular daily rhythm with meals, exercise and rest.

3 Tips to Support Your Earth for a Healthy Spring Transition

With the transition into Spring, it’s important to reduce the burden on the Spleen and Stomach organs systems, strengthen your digestion and cool the heat in the Liver in order to prevent irritability and allergies. Here are three tips that can support a healthy transition during this Doyo period:

Reduce or avoid sugar and other damp-producing foods. Foods like cheese, nuts (especially peanuts and cashews) and especially sugar can produce a fungal terrain in the body which impairs your digestion and immunity and therefore should be avoided as much as possible during this time.
Avoid eating cold foods. Too much cold food compromises the strength of your Spleen Qi, which is essential for transforming the food you eat into nutrients. Click here to learn why this tip is especially important in episode 10.
Get Acupuncture treatment. This is the ideal time to support your core Earth energy and immunity with Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine. (If you're in our area, you can schedule yourself online here).

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below — what’s the biggest insight you took away from this episode?

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(Episode 10) How Salads and Smoothies Can Impede Weight Loss

March 3, 2021

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below — what’s your biggest takeaway about Cold from this episode?

Health trends often encourage a diet rich in raw fruits and vegetables to maximize the enzymes and nutrients available in these foods. But what if we told you those same nutrition-packed smoothies and salads may be contributing to weight gain, fatigue and a slower metabolism?

More important than how much nutrition is in foods is your body's ability to absorb nutrients.

According to Chinese Medicine, nutrition is food + digestion, which means that no matter what you eat, your digestion needs to be healthy first.

In this episode, you'll hear about the shift Dr. Moafi made in her dietary health after connecting the dots with her health issues when she was eating what she thought was a “healthy” diet filled with salads, smoothies and cold drinks.

You’ll learn about the 8 principles of Chinese Medicine and how applying these principles to your food and lifestyle choices can optimize your health and weight loss goals.

The 8 Principles

According to Chinese Medicine, the 8 Principles that guide diagnosis are Yin and Yang, internal and external, hot and cold, excess and deficiency.

The 8 Principles are rooted in the Daoist principles of Yin and Yang, which are both the foundation of all of life as well as the foundation of Chinese diagnosis.

Yin is anything that’s more cooling, quiet, contemplative and slow. In nature, it’s most closely related to nighttime and the moon. On the other hand, Yang is more warming, active, extroverted, and fast. In nature, it’s most closely related to the daytime and the sun.

From there you can understand the other six principles: cold and hot, internal and external, and excess and deficiency.

The Perils of Cold

Cold is a common factor that can become pathological if the weather is too cold as well as through a diet that’s too cold.

Internally, cold is generated by diet such as a lot of raw food, including smoothies and Western pharmaceutical drugs especially those which suppress inflammation, pain and the immune system or antibiotics.

Cold constricts Qi and its movement, which can create both sharp pain as well as stiffness. Internally, it can manifest as gut pain and menstrual pain, as well as infertility if the cold lodges into the reproductive system.

Cold freezes pain and inflammation to bring temporary relief, but Cold also freezes the problem into the tissues and inhibits the circulation of Yang Qi and blood, both of which are needed for longterm healing. Yang Qi is metabolic energy that creates body warmth and supports healthy immunity. Once the Yang Qi is compromised, a person's healing capacity is weakened.

Hyptertension medication for example lowers blood pressure while suppressing the Yang Qi and therefore inducing cold internally that can manifest as erectile dysfunction.

Birth control medication similarly can induce cold and cause stagnation.

A person with Yang Qi insufficiency will show signs of fatigue, low metabolism, gets sick easily and tends to feel cold.

Cold leads to the stagnation of circulation and pain and can also be induced by working in a cold environment such as the fish department in a grocery store. Arthritis conditions can develop over long term exposure to cold environments.

For any condition of cold and to counter the effects of cold from medication or your environment, it’s essential to focus on warming your core energy.

Tips to Counter the Effects of Cold

One of the most essential tips is to avoid drinking cold drinks or adding ice to your drinks. So drink more hot water with ginger or turmeric or even just room temperature drinks.

Another tip is to soak your body or just your feet in warm water to increase your core temperature.

Hot packs are another great way to warm your body — place a hot pack on your lower back, lower abdomen or at the base of your neck, especially if you have cold limbs or experience headaches or neck stiffness.

The most important thing is to remember that eating a lot of cold foods like salads, smoothies and yogurt will induce cold internally over time. This will make you feel colder, slow down your metabolism and inhibit you from losing weight over time.

The Spleen Qi regulates your metabolism and when it’s taxed, the Spleen won’t be able to create Qi and therefore won’t be able to regulate the metabolism.

At first, eating a lot of salads can result in weight loss especially if you’ve been eating a diet rich in carbohydrates, sugars or any type of refined foods. However, over time, as this cold food taxes the Spleen Qi, your digestion and metabolism will be compromised and therefore the transformation and transportation function of the Spleen is impacted. Since the mind is an extension of the Spleen according to Chinese Medicine, the mental processes including your memory and concentration may be impacted by weakness in the Spleen Qi.

Diarrhea, fatigue, poor memory and poor concentration are all common symptoms of Spleen Qi weakness.

A great way to strengthen your Spleen Qi is to eat more warm, nourishing foods including congee, which you can learn all about in this article.

In general, remember to:

Eat fewer cold foods and drinks
Keep your body warm with hot baths or foot soaks as well as the use of hot packs.

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below — what’s your biggest takeaway about Cold from this episode?

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(Episode 9) How the Stars Align to Support Personal Development in 2021 with Rasha Hasan

February 24, 2021

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments how you see these astrological influences playing out both in the world and in your life?

In this episode, we’ve invited our dear friend and astrologer, Rasha Hasan, to share about the meaning of the recent conjunction in astrology of two planets - Saturn and Jupiter.

At the moment of the Saturn-Jupiter conjunction on December 20, 2020, it seemed everybody was going outside around sunset to look at this beautiful configuration in the sky. There is a really powerful influence on the planet as well as our individual lives.

Rasha is a remarkable astrologer, hypnotherapist and Reiki practitioner, as well as President of the San Francisco Astrological Society.

In this interview, she shares her personal journey to discovering her purpose — from watching the stars from her rooftop during the warm Summers living under a dictatorship in war-torn Baghdad to her immigration to the United States to finally following her calling, you’ll be inspired by Rasha’s journey.

“When the universe wants to tell you that there is something to this, the universe will guide you; it will bring you something to show you that this is some of your path. ”

— Rasha Hasan

Most importantly, you’ll learn about about the impact of the major astrological aspects that are occurring in 2021 and how they can support your life with a few tangible ways you can leverage this year’s astrology for your personal development.

As Rasha shares: “Each Jupiter Saturn conjunction marks a major generational shift. The conjunction is happening for the very first time in their element, setting a path for the coming 200 years.” We can’t emphasize how important this shift is for us all.

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments how you see these astrological influences playing out both in the world and in your life?

The Saturn-Jupiter conjunction occurred during the 2020 Winter Solstice, marking a time for new beginnings on both a global and personal level.

Born and raised in Baghdad, Iraq, Rasha Hasan is an astrologer & hypnotherapist, as well as President of the San Francisco Astrological Society (SFAS).

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(Episode 8) Follow Your Bliss: Dr. Setareh Moafi's Journey into the Healing Arts

February 17, 2021

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below — what inspired you most about Dr. Moafi’s journey?

Today Salvador Cefalu interview his wife and partner, Dr. Setareh Moafi about her journey into practicing Yoga & Classical Chinese Medicine.

We think you’ll find many surprising insights and inspiration about what’s possible for you when you take a chance to follow your bliss.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Details of Dr. Moafi’s personal story — the journey that led this first generation immigrant to the moment that changed her life forever and guided her to follow an unconventional path
How doing less and letting go of physical and emotional stress can help you achieve more
Why it’s so important to follow your heart, even when the path it’s taking you on doesn’t seem clear
What to focus on if you’re still unsure about your life purpose

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(Episode 7) How to Open Your Heart to Experience True Love

February 10, 2021

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

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below — how did the two tips we shared in this episode impact your life?

Not a fan of Valentine’s Day? You’re not alone. In the midst of a pandemic, it’s easy to feel more isolated and more alone than ever. And when we’re triggered, it’s especially important to cultivate tools to help us feel better about our lives.

In this episode we’ll discuss how opening your heart can help you experience the truest and most authentic love — self-love — and how experiencing this love can allow you to experience miracles and endless possibilities.

A Brief History of Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day was created to replace a pagan holiday called Lupercalia that was practiced February 13-15 in Rome. The focus was purification that would help ward off evil and removing curses that were causing infertility.

The Catholics eventually made a celebration of St. Valentine in its place. St. Valentine was a healer who is said to heal his jailer’s daughter of blindness.

This can be used as a metaphor for Chinese Medicine’s idea of vaporizing phlegm, which is a process that occurs when you open your Heart to then be able to experience miracles.

It can be more challenging to experience an open heart during holidays like Valentine’s Day when you may feel you’re being forced to open your heart.

So what’s necessary? Forgiveness.

It’s also important to focus on the love you feel for yourself — the depth and truth of the meaning of self-love; to know yourself, to feel self-esteem, self-confidence and self-worth. Because your relationships with others are rooted in your relationship with yourself and the love you feel for yourself.

If you don’t feel good about yourself or you’re judging yourself or feeling guilt about something you’ve done in the past then you inhibit the Lungs from expressing their virtue, which is forgiveness.

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The Fire & Metal Elements

According to the Five Element system of Chinese Medicine, the Heart is part of the Fire element and the Lungs are encompassed in the Metal element. These two elements have an important relationship. In an optimal state, the Fire energy of the Heart helps to control the Metal energy of the Lungs which tends to be critical and even judgmental.

But when there’s an imbalance of Metal energy, which can cause feelings of regret and judgment of oneself and others, this can insult the Fire energy, oppressing the Heart’s ability to open and therefore give and receive love.

The Metal energy is also associated with forgiveness, which reflects your ability to let go. The Lungs let go of the breath and the Large Intestine, or colon, which is the other Metal element organ, lets go of toxins through the excretion of waste.

Forgiveness is a virtue of the Metal element. When you’re able to forgive, you free the Lungs and allow the Heart to open.

Through the action of letting go, we can experience the depth of forgiveness to allow the vaporization of phlegm in the Heart so you can experience miracles.

Letting go also anchors us fully into the present moment. Fire energy is about being in the moment. This is reflected in love, in being in the zone, in being in a flow state — all experiences that only happen when you’re fully present.

When people have Heart Fire manifesting as anxiety, nervousness and overstimulation of the mind they often reach for active exercise. But this creates a lot of heat in the body, which creates an acidic state in the blood that then exacerbates anxiety.

We reach for this type of exercise to release stress but also since the Lungs are overwhelmed, subconsciously we may be wanting to do intensive exercise to open the diaphragm and free the Lungs and this often doesn’t help in this way.

Chinese exercises like Qi Gong and Tai Chi are slow because the idea is to quiet the system and quiet the mind to reduce the static energy in the body and allow for the smooth flow of Qi to circulate.

2 Tips to Cultivate a Feeling of Self-Love

Tip #1 Alkalize Your Diet

Cultivating self-love involves freeing the Lungs to open the Heart to experience self-love and therefore endless possibilities and miracles.

When there’s Heart Fire, you can’t settle the mind and be still in the moment very easily. Heart Fire is a state of heat in the blood that manifests as an acidic terrain in the body. This is a concern when people are utilizing a ketogenic diet because establishing ketosis creates an acidic state in the body.

Heat generated by your diet can spread to all the organ systems.

We often think we’re healthy and on trend with diet, but nutrition and diet is highly personalized so not all trends will be pertinent to your particular body.

Fat can generate dampness and protein generates heat and too much of either creates an acidic state which can be dangerous for people with weak Kidneys as the Kidneys try to clear this acidity.

Greens are especially important to clear this heat, especially the bitter greens like dandelion, chard and spinach.

In Chinese Medicine, we say it’s important to cook your foods so avoid kale and spinach salads which can damage your digestive system and impede the function of the Spleen and Stomach organ systems. It’s better to cook greens and eat them with any meal throughout the day.

Fresh water algae have a cooling effect and are also high in protein for those looking for additional protein sources. These can include chlorella, spirulina and phytoplankton. You can also have more seaweed in your diet.

Drinking chlorophyll or chlorella or any of the fresh water algae help to cool down the system so they can calm your nervous system but should be taken moderately especially during the cooler Winter months.

Chlorophyll is made from alfalfa sprouts and can help start your day with an alkalizing effect.

If you have a busy mind, this can indicate excessive Fire that can also be accompanied by a lot of thinking and processing. Meditation and relaxation practices are also important, but diet is most important.

Placing your tongue on the tip of your mouth during Meditation can also help you cool Heart Fire.

If you have a cherry tip tongue, this indicates Heart Fire.

To learn more about the topic of Heart Fire, go to acenterfornaturalhealing.com/blog and type in “heart fire” in the search bar for more support.

Tip #2: Breathe Deeply and Retain Your Exhalation

When a person is nervous or anxious, they breathe shallow and this causes a buildup of carbonic acid.

When you take a deep breath and hold your exhalation, this helps release the carbonic acid and it helps you settle more into the moment.

Salvador guides this breathing exercise. Breathing out of the mouth helps clear heat and clear the Fire from your Heart.

Remember that it takes time to calm a body that’s acidic. Give yourself time to do a daily practice and you’ll see how your day will change — you’ll be less anxious, the day will seem to go more slowly and your life won’t pass by so quickly. As you can imagine, this is a technique of longevity and to reduce the aging process. This is why tortoises are one of the longest living creatures on earth, because they’re so slow.

As you slow down, yo’ll be able to naturally experience self-love, which is the natural state of Fire energy when it’s in balance.

You may feel a sense of joy begin to bubble up, which is a reflection of this balance in the Fire energy.

We hope holidays like Valentine’s Day can feel like an opportunity rather than something that triggers you to feel bad about yourself because you can change your experience of any experience to change the experience itself.

Now, we want to hear from you — how have these tips impacted your life? Let us know in the comments below!

Ready to open your heart & experience endless possibilities?

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(Episode 6) How to Relax When It's Hard to Meditate

February 3, 2021

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

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below — what are your fears and/or experiences with meditation practice?

Meditation has become one of the most popular forms of relaxation in the world. But it may not work for everyone all the time.

While there’s a lot of research to support its efficacy, in this episode we’re going to address some of the dangers of excessive meditation and one of the most common complaints we hear about the practice of meditation — what if just sitting down to meditate stirs up more anxiety than relaxation?

Ashtanga Yoga & Meditation

In his Yoga Sutras, Patanjali classifies Meditation as the seventh of the eight limbs or stages of ashtanga yoga.

The eight limbs are yama (abstinences), niyama (observances), asana (physical postures), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (absorption that leads to enlightenment) — in that order.

Each stage helps raise your consciousness and bring you closer to samadhi, or enlightenment.

This means that to cultivate a state of dhyana, or meditation, you must already have advanced your cultivation of the mind through abstinence, observance, withdrawal and concentration, and have cultivated your body and breath through pranayama and asana practices.

Most of us are not this advanced, which is why the practice of meditation has a greater potential to wreak a greater sense of havoc than bring on a sense of calm.

When we sit for Meditation without having worked on the other stages first, we may end up feeling scattered and anxious.

And because Meditation has developed such popularity in the West, if you don’t know ‘how to meditate’ it’s easy to feel like there’s something wrong with you. We assure you, there is nothing wrong with you!

Since we’re all wired differently, a person who naturally has a stronger Water energy will find it easier to sit quietly and practice Meditation while a Fire type person will find it creates anxiety despite inexhaustible efforts to make it otherwise.

The reason for this in part is that the mind needs to be calm and cool to sit quietly without feeling so restless.

This often demands that deeper inner work be done first, whether this is with a therapist or hypnotherapist or receiving Acupuncture treatment to clear and cool the body and mind.

Once much of this heat is cleared, it’ll be much easier to feel more settled and therefore be able to sit quietly.

In episode 2 of our podcast, Salvador shared the Waterfall Meditation, which is a wonderful practice to begin to cool and settle your mind. Click here to listen to that episode and learn the practice.

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*A Practice to Calm Your Mind

If you want to try to cultivate this cooling effect on your own, here’s what we suggest…

*You can find this guided practice starting around 13:50 of this podcast episode.

Start by practicing relaxation — let go of the idea that you need to learn how to meditate. Instead, focus on learning how to relax.

A simple way to do this is through practicing a relaxation technique called Counting Down.

This technique relaxes your mind by training you to focus on your breath.

Start by taking three deep breaths.

With your next inhale, begin to count down starting at 50. Your inhalation will be 50, exhalation will be 49, inhale 48, exhale 47, and so on.

Once you reach the number 20, you’ll begin to take an entire breath for each remaining number. In other words, rather than 20 on inhale and 19 on exhale, you’ll count 20 on your inhale and exhale, then 19 inhale and exhale, 18 inhale and exhale, and so on.

Each time you lose count, start over, beginning with an inhale at 50 then exhaling at 49 and so on.

At first, you may not make it past 45. That’s ok. Keep starting over again, and again.

Sometimes you’ll fall asleep. That’s ok too.

In order to relax, you need to first feel rested and oftentimes the thing you need more than anything is to sleep.

Over time, as you practice this technique you’ll find that in five to ten minutes you’ll be able to count all the way down to the number one. When you do, your mind will feel immensely more calm. And even if you don’t, you’ll likely notice that your mind is quieter.

So rather than focus on the trends and the stigma around people who don’t know how to meditate, start as a student of relaxation.

To meditate, you must first learn to relax, and then to concentrate. And it all begins by cooling and calming your mind with techniques like Counting Down.

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below — what are your fears and/or experiences with meditation practice?

(Episode 5) Volcanoes & Stone Medicine for Transformation: Insights from the Big Island of Hawaii

January 27, 2021

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

Seeing the glow coming out of the center of the Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island was certainly the highlight of our recent trip to the Big Island of Hawaii.

As we sat listening to the waves crashing and the birds chirping outside of our condo, we were inspired to share the insights we gained from our time with the volcano and invite you to be a part of our experience.

Evening glow of the Kilauea Volcano just weeks after its December 21, 2020 eruption.

In this episode, we discuss the Fire element of Chinese Medicine as it relates to the Kilauea Volcano and its recent activity as the ultimate expression of Fire in nature.

In Chinese Medicine, Fire as an element has a lot to do with transformation so it's no wonder that this lava forms at the core of the Earth and then comes to the surface to create transformation. It actually is able to create land.

Fire is not only the element that creates transformation, but it’s also the element that relates to unconditional love and to self love. The Heart is related to the Fire element and opening your heart is what allows you to experience these forms of love.

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The importance of that in terms of healing is that when you're able to experience unconditional love and when you're able to give that love to others, that means that you have you can experience miracles and even spontaneous healing.

In Chinese Medicine, vaporizing phlegm through the opening of your heart is what allows you to have this experience, but of course, that seems like a daunting task and quite challenging.

The Lungs support us to let go, which relates to our judgments — letting go judgments of ourselves, of others, of life circumstances, because otherwise the action of holding in the Lungs can oppress the heart from opening. So we need to let go so we can have a more neutral take on life, to have less attachments (Learn more about letting go and the virtue of the Lungs in this article).

As lava cools, it becomes volcanic glass known as Obsidian as well as Rhyolite which is a lesser known stone. Both of these stones are warming and have an active quality in the body and mind. The challenges of working with these volcanic stones is that they can initiate a healing crisis because they can reach deep into your core and pull out your shadows.

As they move this powerful Yang Qi in our body, they can dredge up the shadow qualities that lie deep within, similar to the way the volcano pulls things to the surface from the core of the earth.

Lava and these stones can pull out of our subconscious or unconscious that we don't want to really look at. And they come to the surface that could be quite disruptive and could initiate a healing crisis emotionally.

Volcanoes are the core of the earth erupting and this core metaphorically can relate to the Kidneys, or essence known as Jing; the life purpose or curriculum you hold within your Jing. Your purpose is expressed through the Fire element. The volcano erupts through Fire, through lava. And it's a really beautiful metaphor for how we are in life as well.

However, the Kidneys also store our fears, especially those that are unconscious. So these volcanic stones can really move a lot of our fears, so we have to take a look at those things that really maybe keep us stuck in life from living out those dreams and our higher purpose.

A lot of us might not even know what our purpose is because there's so much trauma that's stored in that same area in the Kidneys that inhibits us from really knowing what it is that we're meant to do in this lifetime.

Coming to places like this or having experiences with natural elements like volcanoes helps us to process a lot of those fears and traumas.

A lot of what happens in the world can ignite fears in our individual lives. Stone medicine can quell these fears and anxiety so you can be more present.

Obsidian and the volcanic stones can really stir things up, so it would be better to use more cooling stones like Mangano Calcite along with a quartz. You can use Amthethyst which is a quartz so it enhances but it’s also a Lithium stone so it calms the nerves along with Rhodochrosite and Mangano Calcite. Amethyst also helps with sleep.

(Episode 4) Spice Up Your Life: Using Culinary Spices & Essential Oils to Increase Your Zest for Life

January 20, 2021

Once you’ve listened to the episode, share your experience or questions in the comments below!

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

Spices are a part of all our lives because we consume various ones in our diet.

Culinary spices have many health benefits. The use of culinary spices help increase your appetite for food, but metaphorically they help increase your appetite - or zest - for life.

One way we can extract their therapeutic value is in the form of Essential Oils. Besides cooking with spices, you can also use essential oils made of seeds and leaves that are used as culinary spices for mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.

In this episode, we discuss some of the special reasons why adding more spice is important to improve your mood and life.

There are two important categories of spices in essential oils - seeds and leaves. Seeds target the Spleen Qi and digestive system in general whereas leaves support the respiratory system and Lung Qi.

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Seed Essential Oils

Seed oils include Coriander (cilantro seed), Cumin, Cardamom, and Caraway. In general, seed oils regulate Qi to reduce bloating, gas and abdominal pain, as well as to normalize bowel movements.

Seeds are the part of the plant that germinate to create the life of a new plant. In this way, seeds resonate with our body’s own germination or what we know of as the reproductive system. The reproductive system correlates with the Kidneys in Chinese Medicine, so seeds have a strong impact on supporting reproductive health.

The Kidney organ in Chinese Medicine not only relates to the reproductive organs such as the ovaries of a woman and the gonads of a man, but also the endocrine system in general which produces hormones to regulate many metabolic functions of the body.

The Kidney’s energy therefore relates to the adrenal glands which produce stress and sexual hormones, all the way up to the Master endocrine gland in the brain, called the Pituitary gland.

In fact, the brain is the seat of the Kidney’s Essence, called Jing so seeds have a powerful impact on brain health and function.

Leaf Essential Oils

In addition, there are culinary herbs and spices derived from leaves. According to Chinese Medicine, leaves help spread the Qi, especially of the Lungs and Heart.

Spreading the Qi helps the Lung’s let go of trapped emotions held in the chest and also to release trapped pathology such as bacteria and viruses that cause respiratory related illnesses.

Leaf oils including Thyme, Oregano, Lemongrass, and Rosemary to support respiration.

Many of these oils are mucolytic to help break up congestion in the lungs and sinuses. Thyme has been proven to be antiviral and antibacterial and, depending on the variety used, can also help eradicate candida albicans. Oregano is antimicrobial and kills parasites and yeast. Rosemary, like Eucalyptus, is antiviral so it can effectively help treat colds and flus.

You can learn more about some of the best essential oils to support immunity in this article.

A unique leaf oil that we love to drink as a tea at home is Lemon Verbena. Lemon Verbena helps diffuse Lung Qi to help with bronchial issues, but it also helps cool the heart to help reduce anxiety and depression and improve sleep.

Summary

Seeds, generally speaking, help to gather and consolidate energy and support bringing energy into the body’s center for digestive support.

Leaves on the other hand, in addition to stimulating digestive function, help to invigorate the movement of blood and fluids throughout the body to support systemic circulation of the blood and lymphatics.

Most of the spices induce a warming quality on the body, so they have an invigorating and stimulating effect on the digestion, the mind, and the circulation.

A few spices such as Lemon Verbena, Peppermint, Sage and Sweet Marjoram have a cooling effect and therefore can support relaxing and calming a hyped up nervous system for people suffering from irritability, anxiety and general nervousness.

The use of culinary spices and essential oils is an easy way to improve your digestion and lift your mood. Spices help warm your Kidney Yang, which is especially important during the Winter months, but is also essential to keep your core energy and Essence, known as Jing, strong.

Since the Earth element is related to nourishment and made up of the primary organs of digestion - the Spleen and Stomach - it’s no wonder that cooking in general and especially with the use of culinary spices can enhance your Earth energy by improving your appetite and sense of nourishment.

The feeling of depression is often associated with a depressed Lung Qi. In other words, when the Lung energy cannot diffuse, you’re likely to feel more sad and depressed. Leaf oils such as Thyme, Rosemary and Lemon Verbena can help to lift your mood and therefore help to alleviate some of the symptoms associated with depression. (You can read more about using essential oils with symptoms related to depression here).

Be sure to add some spice to your diet - especially in the morning - to spice up your day, and life!

How to use spices & essentials to lift your mood at home:

Drink Lemon Verbena tea - Lemon Verbena is cooling and therefore helps with anxiety depression and insomnia. You can purchase the dried leaves or grow a plant in your patio or garden and either steep the fresh or dried leaves in hot water to drink as a tea.
Add some spice to your breakfast - adding a dash of Cardamom or Cinnamon to a breakfast of warm grains such as oatmeal, buckwheat, millet, and amaranth can help improve your circulation, warm your belly and lift your mood.
Smell or diffuse essential oils - Clove or Peppermint or great pick-me-ups that make great personal companions to lift your energy and mood, or simply diffuse to cleanse the air in your home. (Just be careful if you have pets around as some essential oils can be toxic to them at high doses)

Let us know in the comments - which spices do you do you use in your cooking and which ones would you love to try?

(Episode 3) 2 Keys to a Healthier Life

January 6, 2021

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

“The first wealth is health.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

In the absence of health, you’ll struggle to have the energy or clarity to set goals, let alone achieve them. You can’t enjoy quality time with loved ones.

But In health, all things are possible.

This is why in Chinese Medicine philosophy, health is the first of the Nine Palaces that bring us to completion in our lives.

Nevertheless, we realize that if you’ve ever struggled with your health, the word or topic alone can be overwhelming and instigate a variety of feelings and responses.

You may even feel shame and guilt about your choices with your health or think that creating a healthy lifestyle may be too costly or too time consuming.

And quite frankly, with all the information that’s available about the topics of health and wellness, it can be challenging to know what to believe or even where to begin.

By definition, health is “the condition of being well or free from disease.” And to be healthy means “enjoying health and vigor of body, mind, or spirit.”

So, to be healthy is to be well, free from disease and have vigor of body, mind or spirit.

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Note that the spirit is also contained in this definition, which is why we’re going to look at why being healthy is fostered through a deeper relationship with ourselves.

Having a healthy lifestyle does not mean letting go of all the fun and pleasure in life and it certainly doesn’t mean making healthy choices all of the time. In fact, being healthy means doing things that keep you feeling good physically, mentally and spiritually.

The World Health Organization’s definition of health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease” illuminates just that. We’re all comprised of a physical body, a mind and a spirit. So why is it that most of us forget about at least one of these parts of ourselves throughout the day?

The most complicated element of the human experience is the mind - and it’s also the most difficult to condition and change. Luckily, if we notice that our mental state is imbalanced early on enough, we can use our physical body to reshape our thinking. Ancient practices such as Yoga, Qi Gong and Meditation are designed to help us do this.

The ‘monkey mind’, as many of these ancient traditions call it, is like an animal that needs to be trained. Otherwise, the mind can lead us to the demise of both our physical body and our spirit.

You truly are the healer in your life.

When you’re able to focus your mind on healing, you can more effectively uplift your spirit to then help the body recover. This can be done through a variety of spiritual practices and very simply through the daily and routine practice of gratitude.

Gratitude creates space for positivity and joy to flow into our lives.

The more you focus on the good you have, the more you magnify those things and begin to cultivate better things to come into your life. This is the fastest way to heal the body, which really is simply a reflection of the health of the mind and spirit.

To be healthy then doesn’t necessarily mean eating the right foods and exercising right and sleeping well.

2 Keys to a Healthier Life:

Each morning when you wake up, move your body & write down 3 things you’re grateful for in your life.
If movement isn’t possible, close your eyes and visualize yourself moving. That’ll begin the process to move the Qi in your body.
Just visualizing yourself moving will enhance your physical body because your mind moves the Qi, and as you use your mind you’re conducting Qi through all your tissues and cells.
At the end of each day, review the challenges of your day and do your best to make peace with and let go of those things.
This practice comes from a Daoist alchemist named Ge Hong who used to teach this practice.
This process will help you not carry the challenges of today to the next day.
These things aren’t always easy when we have challenges, but this is the cultivation when we come up against uncomfortable aspects.

In its very essence, health is cultivated through a sound, peaceful and positive body, mind and spirit.

Health is the state of ease you cultivate through an intimate relationship with your body and mind.

This means that you care about and pay close attention to both your body and mind.

To pay close attention, you have to be fully present.

Being mindful about how you start and end the day is essential to wire your subconscious mind so you can create a healthier relationship with yourself.

By simply creating a regular morning and evening ritual, you become more present and more aware of your needs.

For many of you this may mean that you do less, rest more and spend time in fewer yet more nurturing relationships and surroundings.

Once you really slow down and pay close attention to yourself, the realization of a truly fulfilling life simplifies making healthy choices.

(Episode 2) New Year, New Intentions: 3 Steps to Have Your Best Year Yet

December 30, 2020

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

If you’ve already listened to the episode, scroll down to post a comment & please share it with your friends!

Every year on New Year’s Eve for the last several years, we’ve offered a popular New Year’s Eve Yoga-Qi Gong class in which we integrated writing and movement exercises to bring closure to the current year and set intentions and goals for the new year.

This year, we wanted to use our new podcast as a platform to share this experience with those of you listening at home from around the world.

2020 has created a lot of changes not the least of which has been to force many of us into deeper contemplation about our lives. And at the end of a year like this, it’s essential to not only look back and see where we’ve been, but also to look forward to new possibilities.

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We often pressure ourselves to make changes with our new year’s resolutions. But it’s important to keep in mind that since the new year in the West occurs on January 1st, right after the Winter solstice, it’s not an ideal time to create something new in your life.

Winter is the most Yin and dormant season of the year and is related to the Water element, which is associated with introspection and cultivation, and is the most important time for rest so that you can build back the energy of the Kidneys.

When the Kidney energy is strong, you’ll feel vital and have the Will, known as Zhi, to carry out your goals and dreams during the upcoming Spring season.

While wintertime is not the time to actualize your dreams, it’s an important time to clarify your intentions and, through careful examination and meditation, to glean wisdom from the experiences of your past.

It’s a great time to do the inner work necessary to cultivate the vision you have for months ahead, especially as we get into the more Yang season of Spring which has the energy to support manifestation.

Today we’re going to guide you through a writing exercise I like to call New Year, New Intentions.

You’ll want to grab your cup of tea, a notebook and pen.

EXERCISE 1: Offer Gratitude for 3 Things in Your Life

The first thing we need to do to begin anything new is to accept and give gratitude for where we are right now.

Numerous studies at universities like UC Berkeley and Harvard have demonstrated that the expression of gratitude leads to more positive emotions and experiences, improved mental and emotional health, and stronger relationships.

No matter what’s going on in your life, you can always think of a few things to be grateful for, especially if you keep it simple. Perhaps you’re grateful for the gorgeous tree you can see from your office window or the warm bed you slept in last night.

The simple act of regularly acknowledging what’s good in your life can over time make you happier, healthier and more fulfilled.

With that in mind, write down 3 things you're most grateful for/proud of from the past year.

During the time of this recording we’re in the middle of a pandemic and that 2020 was not an easy year for a lot of people, but this is exactly what makes this particular exercise so important.

Pause the audio as you take a few minutes to write those down and then come back.

EXERCISE 2: Let Go of 3 Things That No Longer Serve You

Ok, the next exercise has to do with something we all struggle with at times - and that’s the process of letting go. In order to create space for whatever it is you’re looking to cultivate in your life, you have to let go of what no longer serves you.

You can begin this process with the Waterfall Meditation led by Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac., visualizing first a pool of water accumulate at the crown of your head then flowing down your upper body into your arms and hands, then gathering into your pelvis before making its way down into your legs and feet.

Now that you’re more clear and have released a lot of the stagnation in your body through the meditation, write down 3 things that you’re willing to let go of as you begin the new year (i.e. projects, people, feelings, etc.).

Pause the audio and we’ll meet you back here in a few.

EXERCISE 3: List 3 Specific Desires

The final exercise is to write down your intentions for the new year.

Once you’ve accepted and offered gratitude for exactly where you are and let go of anything that no longer serves you, it’s time to get clear about your desires.

This next exercise is not about dwelling on what you need but rather it’s about weaving together a dream or creating a vision of what you want or desire.

To begin, write down 3 specific desires you’d like to manifest in the new year.

Be as specific as possible. You don’t want to say something like “I want a new car.” Instead, write down the specific make and model of your dream car - don’t worry about whether it’s “realistic.” The idea is to allow joy and imagination to take over.

If you have a goal you’d like to achieve, be specific about that goal and maybe even write down why you want to achieve it.

How will you feel when you have that car or achieve that goal?

And always remember that even though you’re setting goals for a new year, you don’t have to achieve them all in this new year.

Oftentimes we overwhelm ourselves thinking about all that we want to achieve in a year and get discouraged when it doesn’t all happen.

But some dreams take time (and divine timing!) to manifest.

We often overestimate what we can achieve in a year and we underestimate what we can achieve in a decade.

So be clear about your desires, allow yourself to dream a little and write it down.

The simple act of clearly writing what you want activates the energy of the Universe to start bringing those things to you.

Review

Here’s a review of the 3 writing exercises from this episode:

Write down 3 things you’re most grateful for/proud of from this past year
Write down 3 things - behaviors, habits, mindset, projects, people - you’re willing to let go of
Write down 3 specific things you desire to bring into your life

Now, we’d love to hear from you—what did you learn about yourself in doing - or even just thinking about - these exercises? Is there a goal you’d like to share and get extra support with from us and our community? Let us know in the comments below.

Please share this episode with your friends and write us a review.

And finally, we’ll leave you with this quote from Mark Twain as inspiration for the year ahead:

“20 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Wishing you a healthy, abundant and magical new year!

Thank you so much for tuning in to the Natural Healing Podcast. Please share it with your friends and family, and leave us a review.

We look forward to connecting with you again next time!

Click here to listen to the episode and follow us on Spotify!

(Episode 1) A Path to Purpose: Salvador's Journey into the Healing Arts

December 19, 2020

The pandemic and accompanying challenges of 2020 have changed so much, and have forced many of us to really look at what we want and don't want in life.

One thing we've realized is that we want to find new ways to empower and inspire your journey to wellness.

That's why we've decided to start a podcast so we can start a conversation with you about natural healing.

Click below to listen to our very first episode, in which I interview Salvador about his journey into the healing arts.

You might be surprised that he began on a completely different path, only to find "love at first sight" with his first exposure to Chinese Medicine.

Once you've listened, we'd love to hear from you — let us know in the comments below what you found most intriguing about Salvador's story.

Click here to listen to the episode and follow us on Spotify!

Your presence in this community is the inspiration behind the Natural Healing Podcast.✨

We hope it'll inspire you with hope, insights and possibilities to elevate your wellbeing.

We can't wait to connect with you!

💗Dr. Setareh & Salvador

P.S. Be sure to share this with your friends and family, and follow us on Spotify to be the first to listen to future episodes.

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