Pets are part of the family. Raising them to be healthy and happy is not only important, it’s the responsibility pet owners accept when they bring companion animals into their homes.
To this end, holistic pet health provides a wellness plan for our companions, so owners can enjoy their company for as long as possible. Following are tips for raising your pet healthfully and naturally.
It started as a typical visit. Jennifer was seeking help for chronic low back and hip pain and over the course of several bodywork sessions, we worked to clear areas of tightness throughout her legs, hips, and lower back. But on this day, as I gently freed the side of her hip, her facial expression changed from one of pleasure to one of puzzlement.
“That’s interesting,” she said. “I just remembered when all this started.”
I listened as she recalled the accident that began a pain cycle she had endured for years.
A good soak in a warm bath is a wonderful wintertime ritual. Utilize some of Mother Nature’s simplest gifts in the process, and you’ve got an “experience.”
It really is hard to beat the relaxing, cathartic effects of lounging in a warm bath, where the mind can so easily find peace and calm. But add a handful of rose petals, several tablespoons of sea salts, or some sprigs of rosemary and see how the experience is enhanced. A sense of guilty pleasure will hopefully make way for the realization that you are entitled to these moments of indulgence, and all in the name of self-care.
Air pollutants, toxins, cigarette smoke, cell metabolism, exposure to the sun, and other environmental factors initiate free radicals, which can cause dangerous reactions that destroy cells and damage DNA, proteins, and fats. Free radicals also interfere with collagen production and integrity, resulting in loss of elasticity and, ultimately, aging skin. Although this is a natural and unavoidable by-product of metabolism, an overabundance of free radical damage can cause premature aging and wrinkles. Fortunately, there’s a nutritional way to fight the elements.
As the natural products industry expands, more and more skin care products derived from natural or organic sources are being incorporated into professional regimens. While some swear by the less-aggressive treatments offered by such products, others voice concerns about their overall effectiveness. The simplicity of the natural approach is certainly less likely to cause side effects, but synthetic products may produce faster results. Of course, your decision will rely on specific clients’ needs, but there are strong arguments from both sides of the fence.
In her new book, Pure Skin: Organic Beauty Basics, Barbara Close redefines the traditional three skin types as five skin personalities, excerpted below. Her book follows up with information on working with each variety to best bring about balance.
In the late 1960s, a trend toward “scientific” skin care led to the introduction of the three skin types we know today: normal, dry, and oily. This classification system went on to dominate the skin-care industry and has changed how women look at their skin.
Sound has the power of creation. In the Bible, the world is created by way of sound: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” and, further, “And the Lord said, Let there be light: And there was light.” According to Hopi myth, the Spider Woman sang the song of creation over all the inanimate forms and brought them to life. In the ancient Mystery Schools of Egypt, Athens, and Rome, sound was understood to be the fundamental creative force of the universe.
Humankind has always turned to the ocean for balance and well-being. Ancient Egyptians understood the power of long soaks in seawater. Greek philosophers Euripides, Hippocrates, Plato, and Herodotus praised its therapeutic value. The Greeks and Romans used seawater for general hygiene and physical care, and they even built temples in seawater where soldiers retreated to recover after battle or during celebrations to receive underwater massage. Today, we still desire this stress-free experience of relaxing at the seashore while our worries melt away.
Born out of necessity, ai chi ne combines elements of movement reeducation, touch, and focused breath to assist clients in their therapeutic process. Just like traditional bodywork, ai chi ne creates an immediate energy connection between client and practitioner, but with one big difference — although it can be modified for land use, ai chi ne is done in the water.
Existence is a song. Everything vibrates, from the smallest of molecules to the very universe itself. Where there is vibration, there is sound.
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