“While many people possess the intent of their prayer, many others miss the corresponding emotions that go with it.” – Dr. Joe Dispenza Emotion is one of the most powerful forces available to humans to create optimum health, financial prosperity, and a joyful life. When harnessed through affirmation, intention and prayer, we can create a… Read more »
Natural Options
My mother instilled in me a wanderlust spirit and quest to travel the world through the eyes of the people who live in faraway lands. Following this sage advice, I have affirmed time and time again that traveling allows one to journey into a deeper part of self and an extension of knowledge from an… Read more »
Treating the Common Cold with TCM
- By Diane Sheppard, PHD, LAc
- January/February 2019
I just caught a cold – a perfect time to write about the Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) approach to treating the common cold. The Shan Han Lun, a treatise on cough/cold and viral/bacterial infectious diseases, is considered the groundwork for TCM theory. TCM categorizes cold and flu in two stages with the first being wind… Read more »
This past summer I found myself deep in the heartland of the Amazon jungle at night, with a flashlight and a naturalist guide. This experience was as far as I have ever been out of my comfort zone; yet, it drew me closer to understanding how everything in life ultimately works together to collectively sustain… Read more »
Being “Good” At Yoga
- By Jayne Robertson, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500
- November/December 2018
Over the years, I have heard Deepak Chopra speak and was recently treated to another one of his nuggets. He said that a key aim of our yoga practice is to be able to “observe ourselves, without judging ourselves.” When we can drop into that inner space of self-reflection and inquiry, we begin to release… Read more »
Are Your Genes Speaking to You?
- Deborah Schrameck, NC, PT
- November/December 2018
Do any of these symptoms sound familiar to you when you eat garlic, onions, eggs or cruciferous vegetables: gas, bloating, acid reflux, headaches, dry skin, muscle cramps, joint pain, anxiety, depression, chronic bronchitis, or fatigue? Personally, I had all of the above symptoms and suffered whenever I ate these or any other foods high in… Read more »
Come Home to Who You Are
- By Judy Nemer Sklar
- November/December 2018
The hot summer days are finally behind us, and it is now the time of year when snowbirds make their way back to their desert homes, reminding us that we live in a culture of movement. We move from our childhood home to a place of our own. In time we find something larger with… Read more »
“In every culture and in every medical tradition before ours, healing was accomplished by moving energy.” – Albert Szent-Gyorgyl, MD, Nobel Laureate in Medicine When most people think of methods for achieving physical healing, medication, surgery, and other concrete modern modalities designed to bring the body back to health come to mind. However, one of… Read more »
Wellness Served at the JW Marriott Resort & Spa
- By Lauren Del Sarto
- November/December 2018
There is something fresh brewing at the JW Marriott Desert Springs. Not only are they underway with a multi-million dollar renovation, but wellness is now being served to their 1,200 employees, local visitors, and international guests. The team leading the charge includes internal nutritionist Regina Basterrechea and Executive Chef Peter Smith who have incorporated changes… Read more »
Are Politics Stressing You Out?
- By Laya Raznick, CHHC, L.Ac.
- November/December 2018
Have you experienced a “pregnant pause moment” lately? You know, when you’re talking with someone who makes a comment about the state of our country that you might not agree with, and you’re at a loss for how to respond. Or, if not the pregnant pause, maybe you’ve felt like a stranger in a strange… Read more »
Whether we want to admit it or not, with age comes declining function of every major bodily system we have. The World Health Organization defines the aging population as 60 and older, but symptoms may start to show decades earlier. Common aging concerns should be addressed early when they are typically more manageable – or… Read more »
Embracing a Creative Life
- By Judy Nemer Sklar
- September/October 2018
Finding meaning in one’s life is both sacred and elusive. These aren’t lessons we learn easily but as we age, we reflect upon them and seek to find a more purposeful life. While there is no one answer on how to do that, I suggest we look to the artist as a creative, life-expanding model.… Read more »
How is Your Spiritual Health?
- By Tracy J. Smith
- September/October 2018
The quest to live a healthy and happy life has become a high priority for people now more than ever. While many are focusing their attention on physical, emotional and mental health, there is another aspect that many are exploring: spiritual health. All people have a spiritual side to them, but not everyone recognizes it.… Read more »
Gandhi proclaimed that happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are all in harmony. The most accessible theme we have at our fingertips to synergize these three aspects of self is an ancient tradition dating back to the 10th Century of Japan: a piece of paper and a pen.… Read more »
From the emperors of China and the pharaohs of Egypt, to America in the early 1900s, many elements and ingredients of the cannabis plant have long been considered a normal part of a health and wellness journey. The reason behind the use of the fragrant oils called “terpenes” that are found in many common herbs,… Read more »
Meditation used to be reserved for hippies, gurus, and rock stars. The practice has now entered the mainstream, and the reasons are all around us. Chaos in the world, our dependence on electronics, and the need-it-now mentality create unrest and an extreme pace. Many are simply looking for a way to slow down or let… Read more »
Sulfur, which is present in every cell of our bodies, is the third most abundant mineral in the body and is crucial in forming a variety of sulfate compounds that perform a vast array of biological processes.1 Many experts recognize we are at risk of sulfur deficiency due to diets high in grains, mineral-depleted soils,… Read more »
The body has seven basic ways of detoxifying itself: through the skin, lungs, liver, kidneys, colon, blood, and the lymph system. You can easily help the process with a little attention to your lymph system. The lymphatic system plays a vital role in supporting both the cardiovascular and immune systems. Its main function is to… Read more »
Opportunity often presents itself at the most meaningful time. The door was recently opened for this mom, after a bustling work season, and her millennial teen’s challenging and successful school year. An opportunity to get away from digital and social media promised to be rewarding. Our prescription for bonding was going to a silent meditation… Read more »
The Meaning of Yin and Yang
- By Diane Sheppard, Ph.D., L.Ac.
- July/August 2018
Symbols are images which provide a visual representation of a concept. Upon seeing the Yin and Yang symbol, many have said they see good/evil, peace/war, feminine/masculine. The meaning and significance of this symbol goes far beyond what we see as opposites or opposing sides of one subject or topic. This symbol represents Tai Ji or… Read more »