Healing The Body Naturally

Lately I've written a number of posts about aches, pains and ailments (yes I've been having a good old Aussie winge).

Around the time I wrote the post Aches, Pains and Migraines it dawned on me that doctors and other medical professionals don't really have an invested interest in whether I'm well or not.  None ever do a follow up phone call or anything to see how I'm going, to see if I'm better or well.  After I've paid them my money (in some cases $220 for a measly 10 minutes worth of their time) they forget all about me.  There seems to be little duty of care among our health professionals these days.

I've always know the body can heal itself.  My dad taught me that as a teenager when he used to show me how he would meditate to cure his headaches.  I've used the technique of 'body healing itself' on illnesses (such as cold and flu) yet never really put my energy towards healing my body of its physical ailments.

So I began a journey of self healing.

Most of what ails me is occurring on the right side of my body.  [The masculine side: this is same for everybody, both male and female, regardless of which hand you write with.]  Therefore I predicted the masculine side of my body is really suffering.  Perhaps from burn out, mental exhaustion and physical fatigue due to the amount of conflict I've had in my life over the past number of years.  That conflict has since come to a close and the right hand side of my body "sighed" and collapsed in exhaustion.  It needed a break!

This may sound foolish to some, however, I began using the left side of my body more but not just picking up the kettle with my left hand instead of my right (because my tennis elbow was worse on the right), but also by having a conversation in my head between my right and left whenever I did things.

My left would say "Let me help you with that."
My right would say "Thank you."

I began treating my body as though the left and right have been separate all this time and have just now decided to come together, work together, and support each other.  Most likely my masculine / feminine sides have been apart, certainly working independently from each side, because I have relied on different sides to do certain tasks.  Now I'm getting into the habit of having my body work together.  For example: when I stand I engage both the left and right thigh muscles and glutes to get me up, whereas before I predominately relied on my left leg to do the lifting (because the right side aches).

What I'm finding is, in addition to the essential oil rubs I'm using as well as flower remedies, this joining of sides and having right and left work together is having an amazing effect on my body.  The weaker side is slowly becoming stronger.  The dominant side is getting a break and muscles are recovering from exhaustion. I ache less which is, of course, the main result I'm after.  I'm on the journey to wellness and it feels inspiring :)
  

DIY Natural Fire Lighters

These natural fire lighters work well because citrus peel and beeswax are flammable while smoldering enough to keep the flame going.

Need:

• orange or lemon peel quarters or halves (any citrus fruit will do)
• small dried twigs, leaves, bark - crumbled up into small bits
• old newspapers / shredded paper - ripped into small bits
• beeswax (about a quarter cup)
• medium pot that can be scrubbed with steel wool
• metal spoon
• rubber gloves
• tray

Directions:

• melt 1/4 cup of beeswax in your pot over low heat
• when wax is fully melted remove from heat and allow to cool to the touch (but not cool enough to go hard again)
• add about 2 handfuls of crushed leaves / twigs / bark
• add about 2 handfuls of ripped up paper
• stir with a metal spoon to coat everything well (if you need to, melt more beeswax in a separate pot and add to the mix)
• put your rubber gloves on and scoop out a handful of mixture and squash down into your citrus skins
• set on a tray allow to cool and set

To use:

Place a citrus peel, stuffed with beeswax and burnable materials, at the bottom of your fire.  Add kindling and wood then set your beeswax peel alight.  It will burn nicely helping to get your fire started naturally.

Clean up:

Working with beeswax is messy and it sets hard.  You'll find your pot and spoon need to be scrubbed clean, along with your rubber gloves.

You can either use an old pair of gloves or wash your gloves with detergent while wearing them, as though you're washing your hands as usual. 

Scrub your pot and spoon with steel wool and dish liquid.  

Love this recipe?  Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below :)

[recipe from my amazing cousin - thanks] 

  

Healing A Chest Infection Naturally + DIY recipes

You can feel a chest infection coming on.  It starts off with a little tickle in the throat and builds up to a rampant heaving cough that wracks your body.

That was me one Saturday afternoon about 3 weeks ago.  I noticed a small tickle in my throat and by the next day I was coughing to the point of vomiting.  As usual I didn't want to go to the doctors and be given medication, most likely antibiotics, because I know the human body has the capacity to heal itself.  Also, I strongly believe that allowing my body to heal itself from illness builds up it's natural immune system.

natural home remedies

Usually when I have a cold, flu or tonsillitis I sleep it off for as many days as it takes, making sure to keep my body warm (within reason) because high temperatures kill off viruses.  I've noticed since dealing with illnesses this way I am getting sick less often (my last bout of tonsillitis was over 2 years ago - touch wood). My last chest infection (prior to this one) was over 10 years ago, and the duration of sickness is getting shorter each time.

As soon as I felt that first tickle I got out the usual home remedy supplies: garlic, ginger, honey, peppermint tea, eucalyptus and peppermint oil, lemon; and did as much healing as I could each day.

• A good dose of fresh garlic and ginger in my meals.
• Eucalyptus and peppermint oil in a bowl of hot water, breathing in the steam with a towel over my head - a least once a day.
• Eucalyptus and peppermint oil on a handkerchief that I breathed in regularly.
• Rubbed eucalyptus and peppermint oil on my chest during the day and on the bottom of my feet before bed (add to 20ml carrier oil). Alternatively used JOLI's Natural Chest Rub.
• Heat pack on my chest almost all day (because being cold makes it worse).
• Rug up.  Keeping warm keeps the cough at bay and helps fight the virus.
• Peppermint tea with a teaspoon of honey and a slice of lemon throughout the day (i'm not a fan of sweeteners and yet I went through an entire jar of honey in a matter of weeks).
• Natural cough syrup made with ivy leaf extract - even though over the counter cough syrups are reported to be placebo I still took my syrup three times a day when the cough was at its worst.  (See below for home made cough syrup.)
• I did take the odd lozenge (3 times) but I have to confess they made the cough SO much worse!  Lozenges build up phlem in the throat, so when you're finished sucking on the lolly the cough comes back with a vengence!!!!  100x worse!!!! After taking a lozenge my cough would be wracking to the point I'd almost wet my pants from coughing uncontrollably.
• Sleep, lots and lots of sleep, especially during the early stages.  Sleeping helps the body heal itself.
• Sleep sitting up.  Laying down makes the cough worse.
• Very little talking or laughing, both made the cough worse.  I'm sure it was nice for my family to have me being quiet for a bit ... lol.

Three weeks later the cough is still lingering by way of a small tickle in the throat, yet it has been gradually dying since day one.  I can feel my body healing and getting better each day.

Natural cough mixture #1

cold and flu remedies

Mix one tablespoon of olive oil, the juice of one lemon, one tablespoon of pure honey and one egg white (optional).  Take one teaspoon every two hours.

Natural cough mixture #2

Grate a piece of ginger and squeeze out the juice into a small bowl.  Mix one teaspoon of ginger juice with one teaspoon of honey.  Take that dose three times a day. 

Natural cough drops:

3 tablespoons of sugar

3 tablespoons of honey

1 tablespoon of vinegar

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

2 drops of eucalyptus oil

Mix ingredients together and warm over low heat.  Pour mixture into a buttered tray, leave to cool, then break into small pieces and store in the refrigerator.