Summer has made its full force known, and if we follow the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) way of looking at the seasons through the Five Elements, we are in the Fire Element time of the year. The Five Elements, according to TCM, offers us a lens in which to view ourselves and the world around us. Many integrative modalities such as Acupuncture, Qigong, Feng Shui, and Eden Energy Medicine (EEM) use this Five Element Wheel to help balance our energetic systems in order to achieve good health and wellness.

An imbalance in the Fire Element can result in the feeling that you have run out of steam. It can even lead to feelings of being out of control and panic. However, when this element is in balance, we feel a passion for life, inspiration, playfulness, and joy. One way to balance the Fire of summer is through a few simple techniques taken from EEM.

The Triple Warmer Smoothie is a great exercise to do anytime, but even more so during “Fire time”. Rest your face in your hands with your palms at your chin and fingers at your temples. Take two breaths, and then, as you breathe in deeply lift your fingers a few inches above the ears. On an exhale, circle behind your ears and press down the sides of your neck to your shoulders. As you hang your hands on your shoulders, press in and take two more breaths. Finally, drag your hands down to cover your heart and take a deep breath.

Another way to help calm the feeling of being out of control is to hold the Neurovascular Reflex Points (NV) associated with the Fire element. Hold the points above your eyebrows, called the Main NVs, along with the area on the back of your head directly behind your eyebrows. Breath into this a few times as you hold these two areas with a light touch. You can also do another type of hold by placing one hand on those same Main NV points on your forehead, while placing the other hand flat above your naval. Hold this for a few minutes while breathing deeply.

Taking Down the Flame also helps to balance the Fire Element, calms emotions, helps to create a sense of well-being, and can help to lower blood pressure if it is done regularly. Take a deep breath in and out with your hands on your thighs. On the next inhale, raise your hands on either side of your body and connect them above your head so that your fingers and thumbs meet, and on an exhale bring them down to your head, touching your thumbs to the top of your head. Inhale and on an exhale, bring your thumbs to the middle of your forehead. Inhale and on the exhale, bring your thumbs to your heart area. Inhale and on the next exhale, bring your thumbs to your naval and flatten your hands. Inhale, and on the next exhale, bring them to their original position on your thighs. Finally, on the next exhale, move your hands down your legs, and off your toes. Then trace your hands up the inside of your legs, and finish with your hands over your heart. If you really want to add even more balance to this exercise, you can exhale each time with the “Haaaaaa” sound.

(Published in Front Porch Magazine- July 2019)

There is nothing worse than the feeling of nausea, especially if it occurs in the form of motion sickness that keeps you from enjoying all that summer has to offer.  I used to be famously seasick if I just looked at a boat, but with the help of Eden Energy Medicine (EEM) and other natural techniques, I was able to more than tolerate a trip on the ocean last summer without turning green. The following exercises can help to calm any form of nausea, no matter the cause.

The first thing I did was to make sure my energies were crossing, and I was grounded. Doing the Daily Energy Routine (DER) at least once a day balanced my energies, but two exercises from that routine that I focused on doing the most were the Hook-up and Cross Crawl.

For the Hook-up, place one finger in your bellybutton and the other in the middle of your forehead. Press in and up and hold it until you feel more grounded and together. You can also use a flat hand if this position feels funny to you.

The Cross-Crawl starts with a shoulder pull by placing your right hand on your left shoulder. With a little pressure, push in and drag your hand across your body to the opposite hip. Repeat on both sides a few times, and then move to an exaggerated walk as you cross over each hand to the opposite knee. If your left knee is up, your right hand should cross.

Another part of the DER that helps with grounding is the Stomach Thump, which is simply tapping on your cheekbones with your fingertips. To ground even more and help to alleviate nausea, instead of tapping, place your thumbs right below your cheekbones and press in and up with deep pressure. While doing this, you can place your fingers at points right above your eyebrows with a light pressure to help with any dizziness or headaches you might feel.

A famous acupressure point for dizziness and nausea is Pericardium 6. It is located on the inside of your wrist, about three finger widths down from the wrist crease. You can apply a firm pressure on this point (but not to the point of pain) or tap on it. Work it on both sides of the body.

Stomach 36 is another acupoint that can help. It is about four finger widths down from the bottom of your knee on the outside area of your shin bone. Work this point the same way you worked the previous one on both sides of the body.

To help the dizziness often associated with motion sickness, I traced a figure eight pattern around my eyes. I like to do this using my fingertips and slowly trace around one eye, then across the nose and over to the other eye and around it. Repeat a few times.            

These exercises can help to balance the energies of the body before a trip and can also be done during any episodes of nausea. There are other points and protocols to help with nausea, but I found the above the most helpful for me. See if they work for you!

(Published in Front Porch Magazine- June 2019)

We live in a day and age where it is easy to feel disconnected from others, the earth, and even from ourselves. With technology all around and a breaking news story every day, our resilience can be tested, especially if we are not grounded.

In order to maintain good health and wellbeing and to withstand the daily grind that life can throw at us, we must be grounded. Like trees, we need to be rooted to the earth to balance our lives and withstand our challenges. Staying grounded affects us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, and though I have written about it before (Front Porch, May 2017), I feel the need to offer a few more helpful techniques.

Mother Nature provides us with the tools to keep us grounded, and walking barefoot in grass or sand, or sitting with your back against a tree are great ways to feel a connection with the earth and with ourselves when we feel a little lost. Parts of the Eden Energy Medicine Daily Routine can also help us to get and stay grounded.

The Classic Hook-up connects two meridians (energy pathways in the body) which are like our “energetic spine” and can keep us grounded. Simply place one middle finger in your belly button and the other one on your forehead between your eyes. Push in, pull up, and breathe a few times.

The Wayne Cook Posture, which was originally created to help stutterers, can help with unscrambling your mind and help to bring your emotions back in balance by grounding us. Sit in a chair and place your right foot over your left knee. Then place your left hand around your right ankle and wrap your right hand around the bottom of your foot. Breathe in slowly through your nose and raise your body along with your foot on the in-breath and relax as you breathe out. After several breaths, switch sides and do the same pattern again. Lastly, place your fingers together, and put your thumbs right between your eyebrows. Complete the exercise by breathing in and out a few times in that position and then bring your fingers to the middle of your forehead. Push in and pull them across your forehead to your temples.

There is a good reason why this next exercise is included in many of my articles. Connecting Heaven and Earth makes space in the body for energy to move, can help alleviate joint issues, and you guessed it, grounds us. Rub your hands together vigorously and shake them off. Place them on your thighs with your fingers spread and take a deep breath. On the next inhale, circle your arms out and bring them to a prayer position in front of your heart and exhale. On the next inhale, stretch one hand up and one down, stretching as far apart as you can, and hold your breath. Come back to prayer position on the exhale and repeat on the other side.  Do this twice on each side and after the last stretch, bend down as far as you can, letting your arms hang in front of you. Take two deep breaths, and then swing back and forth making sideways figure eights all the way up your body.

Our imagination can also be a grounding tool. If I am somewhere where I cannot complete any of these exercises, and know I need to ground, I will imagine roots growing from the bottoms of my feet into the earth. It does wonders to bring me back to the moment.

(Published in Front Porch Magazine- April 2019)

Spring begins this month, and according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), we are entering the Wood Element’s domain. TCM’s Five Elements, or Rhythms model, offers us a way to look at chronic health, behavior, and emotional patterns through the lens of the seasons. Spring is associated with the Wood Element and connected to the Liver (LV) and Gallbladder (GB) Meridians (energy pathways in the body). Balancing these two Meridians can help us to balance our wellbeing and go a long way with helping us ease into the beauty of Spring.

When both LV and GB Meridians are in balance, the Wood Element thrives, and you tap into your inner strength, flexibility, generosity, and dependability. Just like wood acts in nature, you also can experience that same growth and expansion. However, an out-of-balance Wood element, can create feelings of anger, irritability, and frustration, along with physical problems such as issues with hormones, eye health, and Liver and Gallbladder problems. Fortunately, Eden Energy Medicine (EEM) has some techniques that can help keep the Liver and Gall Bladder Meridians in balance, and therefore also balance the Wood Element.

Holding what are called Neurovascular Points (NV) can help the emotional response of frustration and anger that you can feel when these two meridians are imbalanced. Simply place the fingers of both hands on your forehead above your eyes and put your thumbs on the points outside of your eyes about a half an inch out from where your lids meet. Hold with a light touch for as long as you want and take some deep breaths. You can also hold the area behind your knees to calm Gall Bladder and balance it a little more.

Working with the Neurolymphatic Reflex Points (NL) can help balance the meridians, the organs, and the entire lymphatic system. Stimulating these points helps to support the flow of lymph throughout the body and get rid of any built-up toxins. Be sure to rub these points with deep pressure, and if they are sore, that is a sign that they need to be worked with a little more. You can work with the Liver NL by rubbing under the right breast, and Gall Bladder NL is located near the center of the chest. See the diagram for exact placement. 

Each meridian has a Source Point that it is connected to the organ energy it is associated with. To stimulate these points, you can stretch, tap, twist, buzz or massage them, or simply hold them for one to two minutes. Both LV and GB source points are located on the foot. See the diagram for their locations.

One of my all-time favorite EEM exercises, The Blow Out, helps to release emotional toxins and can help you let go of built up anger and frustration. To begin, bring your arms to either side of your body and make fists, imagining that all your frustrations and negative feelings are in your hands. On an inhale, bring your arms above your head, and on an exhale, bring them down quickly and open your fists, using the “shhh” sound. Repeat three times and on the last movement, bring your hands down slowly and deliberately and let it all go. I hope that some or all of these exercises help you to experience good health and wellbeing this Spring and stay balanced throughout it!

We are hardwired for joy, so it is a shame that life and our reactions to it can sometimes take us to places that feel less than joy-filled. Though I have written about them before, The Radiant Circuits deserve another round of techniques, so they can help us live a joy-filled life.

Mapped out in Ancient Chinese Medicine texts thousands of years ago, these “circuits” distribute healthy energy wherever they are needed in the body bringing vitality, resilience, strength, and healing with them. Though they are naturally activated by living your life from a place of joy and gratitude, you can also turn them on with Eden Energy Medicine (EEM) exercises that make space in the body so they can easily get where they need to go.

The Crown Pull is an exercise that can help to relieve mental congestion and is also a great way to make space in your head for the Radiant Circuits to flow. Start with your thumbs on your temples and your fingertips in the middle of your forehead. With pressure, stretch your forehead by moving your fingers to your temples. Repeat at your hairline and move over your head until you reach the base of your neck. Pull across it and place your fingers behind your shoulders. Squeeze your shoulders and pull your fingers over them to the front. Take a deep breath and pull your hands off.

Connecting Heaven and Earth also makes room for healing, radiant energy to travel where it needs to go. Rub your hands together vigorously and shake them off. Place them on your thighs with your fingers spread and take a deep breath. On the next inhale, circle your arms out and bring them to a prayer position in front of your heart. Exhale out. On the next inhale, stretch one hand up and one down, stretching as far apart as you can, and hold your breath. Come back to prayer position on the exhale and repeat on the other side.  Do this twice on each side and after the last stretch, bend down as far as you can, letting your arms hang in front of you. Take two deep breaths, and then swing back and forth making sideways figure eights all the way up your body. 

Leaning and Stretching can also help these circuits move to where they are needed most. Place your hands on a wall or chair and lean against it with your legs straight. Then alternatively lift one leg back and then the other, stretching your stomach as you lift.

The Belt Flow helps to make space by opening the connections between the top and lower halves of your body. One easy modified way to do this exercise is to place both hands on your back in line with your belly button. Then with a little pressure drag both hands around to the front of your waist, cross them over and trace down your legs and off your toes. Repeat this a few times starting a little higher and a little lower on your back.

Bring on the joy!

(Published in Front Porch Magazine- Feb. 2019)

A new year has begun, and you have probably made some goals or resolutions to fulfill in the coming year. Eden Energy Medicine exercises can help you maintain your focus on those goals, as well as on day-to-day activities. Try some of these and see if you gain more clarity and focus in the coming year.

Two tried and true exercises to help are taken from Donna Eden’s Daily Energy Routine. Both exercises will help you to think more clearly. To perform the Crown Pull, place your thumbs on your temples and your fingertips in the middle of your forehead. With pressure, stretch your forehead by moving your fingers to your temples. Repeat at your hairline and move over your head until you reach the base of your neck. Pull across it and place your fingers behind your shoulders. Squeeze your fingers over them to the front, and with a deep breath, pull your hands off.

The Cross Crawl can also help to improve coordination, as well as help with clarity. Start with a shoulder pull by placing your right hand on your left shoulder. With a little pressure, push in and drag your hand across your body to the opposite hip. Repeat on both sides a few times, and then move to an exaggerated walk as you cross over each hand to the opposite knee. If your left knee is up, your right hand should cross over to touch it. Continue this cross-over march for at least one minute.

Staying grounded and connected is a key element in maintaining focus and attention, and one of my favorite exercises that accomplishes this is Taking Down the Flame. Take a deep breath in and out with your hands on your thighs. On the next inhale, raise your hands on either side of your body and connect them above your head so that your fingers and thumbs meet.   Bring them down to your head, touching your thumbs to the top of your head, and exhale. Inhale and bring your thumbs to the middle of your forehead. Exhale. On the next inhale, move your thumbs to your heart. Exhale. Then inhale and bring your thumbs to your naval. Exhale. Inhale and flatten your hands on your thighs and move them down your legs, and off your toes. Finally, trace your hands up the inside of your legs, finishing in the same spot you started.

The Four Memory Pumps not only help you to think more clearly, they can also help keep your memory sharp if done regularly. Place your right hand on your chest, and the other on the side of your head with your fingers extended over your head. Take four deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Then, move your left hand to the front of your head with your fingers extending over your forehead and repeat the breath pattern. Next, place your left hand on your chest, and your right hand on the side of your head and breathe four times again. Finally, place your right hand on the back of your head and breath four more times. This exercise has actually helped me to find misplaced or forgotten items, and since then, I have tried to make it an everyday exercise.

(Published in Front Porch Magazine- Jan. 2019)

It is the season for giving and spending a little more time with family and friends, but it is also a time that may add a little more stress to our lives. Last December, I offered some Eden Energy Medicine tips for staying balanced during the holiday season, and this month, I would like to offer a few more.

It is easy during this season, to get a little scrambled and ungrounded. We need to maintain our grounding in order to stay healthy, and one of my favorite ways to do that is the Quickie Grounder. Do a Hook-Up by placing one finger in your belly button, and another finger in the middle of your forehead. Take a few breaths. Next, place your hands on your waist with your thumbs in the front and hands in the back. Slide them down your legs with pressure and then squeeze the sides of your feet. Take two breaths while holding the sides of your feet and really feel a connection to the Earth.

Stress can easily take hold this month, and performing the Triple Warmer Smoothie can help to calm us down during those moments when we may feel it most. Rest your face in your hands with your palms at your chin and fingers at your temples. Take two deep breaths. Then on the next in-breath, lift your fingers a few inches above the ears. On an exhale, circle behind your ears and press down the sides of your neck to your shoulders. As you hang your hands on your shoulders, press in and take two breaths. Finally, drag your hands down to cover your heart and take one more deep breath.

The Triple Warmer/ Spleen Hug can be done without anyone noticing, and can also calm us down and center us. Place your right hand on the left side of the rib cage, and the left hand on the other arm with the pinky finger at the tip of the elbow. Wrap your hand around the elbow and take three deep breaths. Switch sides and repeat.

Another way to help relieve stress and worry is to Calm the Triple Warmer Neurovascular Points. Place your thumb, first and middle fingers in a cluster together, called a 3-finger notch. Then put those fingers at the “V” at the bottom of your throat above your collarbone. If this feels funny, you can use a flat hand over this spot. Place the other hand on the side of your face with your fingers flat at your temples. Take some deep breaths and then switch sides.

This season is all about connection, gratitude, and inspiration. Heaven Rushing In helps us tap into the bigger picture of the moment. Place your hands on your thighs and take a few deep breaths to ground yourself. Then on an inhale, raise your hands to your sides and over your head, touching your hands above it. On an exhale, bring them down to a prayer position in front of your chest. On the next deep breath, open them wide to the sky above your head and stay there as long as you need to. When you are ready, bring your hands to your heart and breathe a few times feeling a loving energy in your heart area and throughout your entire body.

I hope that some or all of these will help you stay a little more balanced amid the hub-bub of the season and enjoy all of the wonder it has to offer!

(Published in Front Porch Magazine- Dec. 2018)

Originally published in Front Porch Magazine– October 2018

Fall is a beautiful time of year, and just as the trees seek to find balance by releasing their leaves, we can also find balance this season with Eden Energy Medicine (EEM).  Thousands of years ago, the Chinese mapped out the Five Elements or Rhythms. This system offers us an understanding of the processes within nature, as well as within our bodies.

Metal is the element in this Five Rhythm model that represents Autumn. Just as the organs associated with this element, Lung and Large Intestine, are all about releasing things in the body that are no longer needed, the element itself is all about letting go.

Working with the Lung and Large Intestine Meridians (energy pathways in the body) can help us to feel more balanced during this time of year. Deeply massaging points associated with these two Meridians called Neurolymphatic points (NL) can help. Large Intestine NL points are located on the outside of the thigh and Lung NL points are in the middle of the chest. Rub the whole area that is associated with these points deeply (see diagram). If any point is sore, then you definitely need to work with them.

Another way to balance the Lung and Large Intestine Meridians is to work with the Source Points (SP) associated with them. Lung’s SP (which can also help with colds) is located on the inside of the arm where the thumb meets the wrist (see diagram). Large Intestine Source Point (which can also help with headaches) is located on the back of the hand at the webbing where the thumb and index finger bones meet. DO NOT USE the Large Intestine point if you are pregnant. Rub and hold these points for about 30 seconds. You can also trace figure 8s over them.

Another way to balance the rhythm of metal is to hold the Metal Neurovascular Points located at the very top of your head with the Main Neurovascular Points on your forehead above your eyebrows. Hold these points at the same time for as long as it takes to feel more balanced and release what you no longer need.

One favorite exercise of mine, called Human Touching the Divine, can help us to energetically release things we have been holding onto. Place your hands on the sides of your legs and ground your energies by feeling a connection with the earth. Inhale and bring your hands straight up to your sides and then, with an exhale and an “Sssss” sound, collapse your chest and round your arms in front with your fingers almost touching. Imagine holding your world and all your family and loved ones, and cradling them. Inhale, opening your arms wide and up, and letting everything go. Exhale and bring your fingers together a little closer, but not touching. Inhale and open up again, surrendering and trusting that all is well. Exhale and allow your fingers to touch in front of your body, cross your hands over each other, and draw them to your chest feeling surrender and trust. With your hands on your chest, imagine that every time you exhale, you are drawing in what you either love or are sad about, and on each inbreath, you let your grip on those things go and open to faith.

I hope you find balance this season as you make room for the beauty that is to come.

We’ve all been there- you start to feel some type of pain come on and you reach for the Advil or Tylenol to relieve it before it gets too bad. That option usually works, but why not try a more natural approach before you pop that next pill?  Eden Energy Medicine (EEM) is an integrative modality that offers natural techniques to relieve pain by balancing the energy in your body. Try one or all of these exercises and see if that pain goes away.

Breathing out the Pain is based on the idea that the breath moves energy and is a very simple technique that can relieve pain. While focusing on the pain and with your mouth closed, breathe in through your nose. I like to imagine the in-breath traveling to the pain site and collecting the pain. Then, breathe out through your mouth and imagine blowing out the pain. Do this several times, slowing down your breathing with each breath.

Stretching or Tapping on and around the pain site can loosen congested energy and make space for energy to move, which in turn can alleviate pain. These techniques work best with sore muscles or areas of inflammation. Please, do not do these exercises over or around an open wound. To use stretching for pain relief, simply stretch an inch or two beyond the site of the pain. To tap, use your fingers or even a hairbrush with plastic bristles to tap over the area of pain for as long as it feels good or until the pain decreases (about a minute or so).

Figure Eights represent one of the optimal way that energy should move- in a crossover pattern. The more your energy crosses over, the healthier your body, so it makes sense that making figure eights over the site of any pain should help it heal faster. Simply draw large or small figure eights over the area of pain either above the pain site or directly on the skin.

Pain Siphoning is best done with a partner, but I have had success doing this technique on myself as well. Place your left hand over the area of pain with your right hand down and away from your body. Imagine the pain being pulled out of the body, traveling through your left hand and out through your right hand. Do this for a few minutes or until you feel the pain has subsided. Essentially, you are ‘siphoning’ out the pain using your hands. You may also need to shake your right hand if you feel energy getting stuck. Next, place your right hand over the area you have been working with and raise your left hand up. Imagine healing energy coming through your left hand, into your right hand and into the painful area. This may sound like an odd exercise, but I can attest that it does work. Finish with drawing figure eights over the area.

These techniques are taken from the book, Energy Medicine, by Donna Eden as well as training materials from her classes. If these exercises don’t help the pain or if it worsens, please consult a qualified health care professional.  For all types of pain, including dispersed or chronic pain, you can lessen the impact by keeping your energetic systems balanced with the Daily Energy Routine.

(Published in Front Porch magazine- August 2018)

Summer is here, and like many beach and pool-goers (including me), you might be trying to shed a few pounds to look your best. Eden Energy Medicine can be used along with a healthy diet and exercise to help balance the body, so that it works as optimally as possible. Why not try a few of the following EEM techniques to help you out in the weight loss department?

An oldie but a goodie, the Triple Warmer Smoothie does many things to calm the body, and it can also help us calm cravings and make an informed choice about our eating. Try this before grabbing that second piece of pie and see if it makes you think twice. Rest your face in your hands with your palms at your chin, and fingers at your temples. As you breathe in deeply lift your fingers a few inches above the ears. On an exhale, circle behind your ears and press down the sides of your neck to your shoulders. As you hang your hands on your shoulders, press in and breath for two breaths. Finally, drag your hands down to cover your heart and take a deep breath.

Once we eat, we want what goes in our bodies to travel where it is needed and not stick around too long. Doing the Spleen Tap to aid a healthy metabolism can help move things along in a balanced way. Simply, tap the areas located on both sides of your body at the base of your ribs.  Do this regularly at least ten seconds before and after you eat. Massaging the Spleen points under the ribcage can also help (see diagram).

The Metabolic Tummy Breath does just what it says- aids our metabolism to work more efficiently. Breath in while sucking in your tummy as much as possible, until you can’t take in any more air. Then take in three, very quick, tiny breaths. Finally exhale, still sucking in your tummy until you have no more air left to release. Breathe out with three more quick, tiny breaths. Do this regularly to help reset a sluggish metabolism.

Aiding the digestive process is another way to help us on our road to a healthier body. Resetting the Ileocecal and Houston Valves is a quick and easy way to move things along. With your fingers inside of your hip bones near your pubic bone, drag them up about six to seven inches with firm pressure while inhaling. Repeat this motion for a total of four times. Then, place your thumbs at the bottom of your ribcage and drag them down toward the hip bone to complete the exercise.

Working with the Large and Small Intestine Neurolymphatic Reflex Points can also help with digestion. Massage deeply along the outside and inside of your thighs with pressure to activate these points (see diagram).

Excess toxins can get our metabolism off balance, as well, and simply massaging the hands and feet is one way to help energy continue to move and not stick around. Drinking lots of water helps to move those toxins out, so be sure to stay hydrated.

As always doing the five minute Daily Energy Routine, is a big helper in all departments and can keep your body functioning in a balanced way.

(Published in Front Porch Magazine- July 2018)