When we’re searching for a remedy that “really works,” it’s a good idea to leave our unrealistic expectations behind.
A remedy “really works” if it does what it’s supposed to do – and that’s not always the same thing as doing what we expect it will do, hope it will do, or feel it ought to do.
Also, it’s good to remember that a remedy may very well work for some people but not for others. While it may sound a bit illogical – it’s not; that’s because our body’s response to a given remedy really is highly individual. And yet…
A remedy that REALLY, REALLY works should have consistent, predictable, and reproducible effects.
Over the years, as I’ve searched for reliable remedies that will really and truly help my clients, I’ve realized that I’ve invariably returned to my naturopathic roots. Naturopathy has an astounding catalog of remedies that have been tested for centuries and that work very reliably.
Amazingly, many of these tried and true remedies are very often quite simple.
Take, for example, castor oil packs to promote healthy liver functioning and encourage detoxification.
The castor oil treatment could hardly be simpler. Just saturate an organic cotton or wool flannel cloth with cod liver oil, warm the pack, and place it over the liver.
The heat of the pack dilates the blood vessels, increasing the circulation of blood and lymph, and fires up the liver’s enzymatic processes, all of which are driven by heat.
Castor oil packs are very useful in ailments ranging from anxiety to uterine fibroids. Sure, it may sound weird – the rational mind boggles when it can’t immediately identify the cause. But on the ground level of our daily healing practice, there is no question that the castor oil pack has shown impressive results.
Another naturopathic favorite that’s ripe fodder for skepticism is Dew Walking. As the name implies, it’s simply walking barefoot on dewy grass in the morning.
Walking barefoot strengthens the feet and calf muscles and stimulates acupressure points in the soles, and we know from Chinese medicine that pressure on these points strengthens various body organs.
The chilly wetness of the grass causes blood vessels to contract and then dilate when the feet are dried. Dew Walking supports the immune system and offers innumerable benefits by “earthing” or “grounding” subtle enrgy currents in the body.
Another simple, proven effective remedy is the infrared sauna. In naturopathy, it’s long been known that heat releases toxins stored in deep body tissues. As we sweat, the toxins are safely eliminated through the skin, the body’s largest organ of elimination.
Other benefits accrue through the body’s well-known response to heat and sweating.
Energy Medicine is based on the subtle energy present in all physical forms. The presence of this energy has been verified by Kirlian photography and by Eastern spiritual sciences, including yoga and the martial arts.
Energy remedies are prescribed according to how well they resonate with the individual person’s vital force. These subtle remedies achieve their results by balancing the intensity of body’s subtle energy, or by removing blockages to its natural flow.
A very simple yet fundamental tool of energy medicine is breathing exercises. They’re wonderfully effective, yet they require nothing more complicated than the breath itself.
My favorite energy remedy is a deceptively simple practice of taking ten conscious breaths. Done properly, this simple practice will balance your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, normalizing them and bringing them under your conscious control. Translation: you’ll feel a wonderful increase of calmness, poise, and freedom from tension and stress. (Of course, the effect will be deeper if you make conscious breathing a regular part of your self-healing practice.)
A balanced nervous system will lower your blood pressure, optimize your digestion, quell anxiety, and open portals to meditative states.
To do the breathing practice, sit with a straight spine (energy flows better that way). Don’t try to control your breathing, but just observe its natural flow while breathing in through your nose and allowing the breath to escape through your mouth. Enjoy the deepening feeling of stillness. This is a remedy that really works!
****
More Information:
(An excellent Far-infrared Sauna is available from our office. Please phone for pricing, and feel free to stop by the Pacific Naturopathic offices to check it out.)
****
To learn more about Dr. Connie’s practice, follow this link.