Clinic Updates and Self Help

by
Clinic News Herbal Medicine Movement Nutrition Wellness@Home

Well, we’ve made it through the first week of “Social Distancing” and sadly my first week of the clinic being closed. I really miss you all! Unfortunately, this is going to be around for a bit longer, so I’m closing again this coming week and expect to be closed at least until April.

I am available for phone calls and can provide herbal formulas to you by mail. Herbal formulas can be used for virus prevention, digestive problems, anxiety, or even if you do get sick and are isolated at home (most doctors and hospitals are sending people home unless they are having significant breathing issues). I’ve updated my website so you can schedule an herbal consultation if you are interested.

This last week has been surreal, but my thinking is that this is a great time to do some self healing. There are so many things we can be doing right now to help our bodies get stronger so that we can fight whatever comes our way. Here are my suggestions:

MOVE!

While we are stuck at home, there’s a tendency to binge watch TV and Movies, or be on Facebook or Twitter, which usually means we are sitting around like couch potatoes. You don’t need to go out and run a marathon, but some gentle stretching can go a long way towards easing pain, loosening tight muscles and generally keeping your body and mind in a good place. It’s also a good idea to sweat a little to allow your body to push out pathogens and body toxins. You don’t need to work hard to break a sweat – a brisk walk will do it especially now that the weather is warmer (just beware of the pollen right now – see below).

Most of you know I teach yoga, so that’s my go-to exercise. For my home practice, I love Yoga With Adriene . Her YouTube videos are free and are as short as 5 minutes and some are as long as 50 minutes. She offers yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises that are excellent (and she has a cute dog named Benji too!) Here are a few of her free videos that I recommend:

Connect

Feeling isolated? Connect with friends and family online. I’ve even attended a few online Happy Hours with friends across the globe. It’s like sitting across the table from friends chatting about whatever is on your mind. We’ve used Zoom, but there are lots of alternatives – Skype, Facetime, Free Conference Call, etc. And of course there’s always the telephone. Check on those you love.

Take Care of Your Lungs

One more thing before I close out. Take care of your lungs! The coronavirus attacks the lungs, so make sure you keep them strong. Right now we are experiencing a huge pollen dump from flowering trees and pine trees. Save your lungs by staying inside or wearing a mask when you are outside (yes, I know you can’t buy them, but you can easily make your own out of a paper towel and two rubberbands that will work fine for pollen). Here’s a blog post I wrote last week that talks more about Lung Health.

Breathing exercises like the ones on Adriene’s page help to strengthen the lungs. If you smoke, stop! Try to eliminate chemicals in your home that impact your breathing. We are all trying to keep things clean, but look for non-toxic ways to do this. Hydrogen Peroxide is a good alternative to bleach, but just remember that it can stain like bleach. Soap and water will do a great job of cleaning counters and then you can disinfect with Hydrogen Peroxide.

Modify Your Diet

The coronavirus is considered a “damp plague” in Chinese Medicine. Those who are overweight, have diabetes, or edema/swelling are all extra vulnerable as these are all considered “damp” conditions where the body’s fluid metabolism isn’t working right. Here’s an article from a colleague in Texas that explains more and offers some diet and lifestyle suggestions for eliminating dampness.

That’s all for now. I’ll be back with more info as I have it. In the meantime, please stay safe and well.

Rawls

by
Clinic News Herbal Medicine Movement Nutrition Wellness@Home