Just Breathe Magazine - Prototype

A Day

at the Spa In the Comfort of Your Own Home

'"'‘ Tis The season Natural Remedies for Relief of Colds and Flu

Forest Therapy How a Walk in the Woods Can Do You Good

What’\/’s The Deal With Red Tea?/?

Just an array of amazing health benefits!

A Yule Celebration

All you’ll need to know on how to get the most out of this Winter Solstice celebration

click here for more information

click here to visit the store

C

ontents

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FOREST Therapy How a walk in the woods can be just what the doctor ordered

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RED Tea Call it Rooibos or Redbush, it packs a punch when it comes to health benefits

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Vol 1 Issue 1 december 2019

Tis the season Relieve cold and flu symptoms with these simple home remedies

a day at the spa A day of luxurious pampering without leaving the comfort of home

23

warming winter baths Herbal treatments that really take the chill out

some sleep 45 Get Natural cures for a sleep-sick nation

Plus: is yoga safe during pregnancy?

15

Oh, The Anxiety

Simple tips for when panic hits

18

Saving Face

27

celebrating yule

32

CREATING A MORE NATURAL BEDROOM

36

aloe vera

43

E

ditor’s Note

What to know before hitting the mat

How to keep your skin nourished in winter

The tools you need to get the most out of the winter solstice celebration

Greening up the often overlooked room

Few plants can claim a 4,000-year history of use

Just Breathe Magazine® is a publication of The Raven and the Sparrow Publishing Company.

It is a New Age/Natural Therapies Lifestyle Magazine published monthly and is distributed free as a digital download.

Editor-in-Chief & Creative Director Sandra Clarke Managing Editor Laurie Imbeault For Advertising Inquiries

CLICK HERE

Here she is. Our Premiere Issue.

Words cannot express how thrilled and grateful I am to be able to bring you our first issue (of many I hope) of a quality publication, which offers resources and expert advice on how to benefit from the natural healing qualities of nature in our everyday lives.

Since it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere where we are physically located, we are dedicating much of this issue on how to stay warm and cozy (and naturally healthy) during these upcoming chilly, winter days. For our southern hemisphere readers, you’ll still benefit from the amazing recipes and information we offer, helpful at any time of year.

Benefits of Digital We decided to go digital for a few of what we believe are really good reasons. First, you will have access to the content as soon as you click and download. You can still print it out in its entirety or just specific pages, but we know by initially offering you the digital format we’ve saved a lot of trees. (Read Molly Larkin’s article on Forest Therapy!). Plus, you’ll appreciate being able to share the information easily with others simply through email. And if you like to shop online like we do, visiting an advertiser’s site is just a click away. Simply click on their ad and you are taken to their website where you can learn more about what they offer.

Yes, we do have a few, carefully selected advertisers.

We could not make a publication of this quality available for free if we didn’t have advertisers. However, our advertisers (and you will notice are minimal compared to other high end magazines on the market today) are a “select” few, offering products and/or services that we at Just Breathe Magazine® trust and recommend. If you like what we offer in Just Breathe Magazine® and you want us to continue to make this quality content available for free (as we really hope to do) please make it a point to visit our wonderful advertisers when looking for products or services to help you get the most out of a living a more natural life.

In closing, I invite you to forward this magazine to anyone you know who may enjoy reading about and practicing alternative therapies through natural resources for a healthier body, mind and spirit.

6 | Just Breathe Magazine | December 2019

Forest Therapy A Walk In The Woods May Be Just What The Doctor Ordered

Once again, scientists are proving what indigenous people and nature lovers have always known: being outdoors is healthy!

Specifically, new research proves that being surrounded by a forest environment, or “forest therapy” can improve your health. And may even help fight cancer.

by Molly Larkin

December 2019 | Just Breathe Magazine | 7

Forest Therapy

(continued from page 7)

In Japan, forest therapy, or “shinrin-yoku”, is standard preventative medicine. It’s not about being alone in the wilderness or extreme outdoor sports, it’s about allowing your body and psyche to hang out in the peace of the woods.

The term shinrin-yoku was coined by the Japanese government in 1982, but is based on ancient Shinto and Buddhist practices.

[There’s that ancient wisdom again!] It’s also known as “forest bathing.”

It was just a few decades ago when people made fun of “tree huggers” -- as a former “tree hugger” myself, I now feel thoroughly vindicated!

The Research on “Forest Therapy” Japanese researchers studying “forest therapy,” have found measurable health benefits: • • • • • • • • • • •

Lower cortisol Reduced stress Diminished pain Increased vitality Increased creativity Improved immunity Lower blood sugar Lower blood pressure Improved concentration Less depression and hostility Better concentration

Three days of hiking and camping in the wilderness increased creativity scores by 50% according to a joint study by the University of Kansas and University of Utah.

U.S. research on children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD] found that children experienced substantially improved concentration after a 20-minute walk in a city park as compared to a 20-minute walk in downtown or residential settings. The researchers concluded the positive results were comparable to the effects of Ritalin.

This is yet more incentive for parents to get children outdoors and away from electronic screens.

Even just gazing at forest scenery for 20 minutes reduces salivary cortisol levels by 13.4%. Cortisol is the “stress hormone” that over prolonged periods can suppress the immune system, along with other negative effects.

8 | Just Breathe Magazine | December 2019

The brain enters a meditative state when one is in “green space.”

In an electronic world, we need the break. Some statistics reveal that the average American spends at least 8 hours a day looking at some sort of electronic screen. Trying to relax by watching TV actually doesn’t relax us.

Japan has 48 official Forest Therapy Trails with scientifically documented relaxing effects. It intends to designate a total of 100 Forest Therapy Sites within the next 10 years.

Visitors may expect to have before and after blood pressure stats taken as part of the effort to provide more data to support the project. The government has funded about $4 million in forest-bathing research since 2004.

Results are so pronounced that some Japanese companies are starting to include forest therapy in employee health care benefits. Also, wellness programs with free checkups are available inside Japanese forests.

Forest Therapy Increases our Natural Killer Cells Natural killer immune cells [NK cells] are a type of white blood cell which sends self-destruct messages to tumors

and virus-infected cells, including cancer cells. It’s known that stress, aging and pesticides can reduce our NK count.

Forest therapy has been found to increase NK cells, which can be reliably measured in a lab and are, therefore, an excellent research subject.

Researchers found that spending three days in the forest increases NK activity by 40% and that the benefit can last up to one month.

Are the benefits of forest therapy based on aromatherapy?

One of the theories as to why forest therapy works is that trees give off scents of volatile oils, known as phytoncides.

In studies where subjects were exposed to vaporized stem oil from a common cypress tree, they had a 20% increase in their NK cells during their three night stay in a hotel.

Subjects not exposed to the smell saw no change. NK cells in a petri dish also saw an increase in the presence of aromatic cypress molecules. Urban walking trips don’t change NK cell levels. Japanese researchers theorize that house plants may give off phytoncides too.

Why Forest Therapy Works A new study from UK researchers at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland found that the brain enters a meditative state when one is in “green space.”

The Japanese father of forest therapy is Miyazaki, a physiological anthropologist and vice director of Chiba University’s Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences. He believes that because humans evolved in nature, it’s where we are most comfortable, even if we don’t always know it. Good call.

“Our physiological functions are still adapted to it. During everyday life, a feeling of comfort can be achieved if our rhythms are synchronized with those of the environment.”

Muskogee-Creek Elder Bear Heart shared a Native American teaching about trees in “ The Wind Is My Mother”: “It’s amazing what you feel from a tree. It can give us energy. When we take long hikes in wooded areas, we often put our fingertips on the ends of the cedar or the pine needles. Just standing there touching them, you’re going to feel energy come to you. Trees are emitting energy all the time. Every needle of the tree, every leaf, is trying to make the atmosphere breathable for us. That’s why my people have great respect for trees. The trees are our relatives -- we call them ‘tall standing brothers.’ “

And the benefits extend to water, too. Members of Bear Heart’s tribe would hang a bucket of water in a tree for a day to purify it, draping cheesecloth over it to keep debris from falling in.

“You can take the water to any lab and have it tested - there will be no bacteria in it. Most of my tribe always hung their water buckets on a tree limb outside. They might not have known exactly what it did, but they knew that it helped.”

“We need to save those Elders who cannot speak for themselves -- the trees.”

--Haida Gwaii, Traditional Circle of Elders

So what can you do when you can’t regularly walk in the woods?

• Spend some time every day outside • If you take a vacation, don’t go to a city -- go to a natural area. Go camping or rent a cabin in the woods [two nights/three days is optimal] • Try to get into nature at least one weekend a month • Visit a park weekly • Start a garden • On city walks, walk under trees, not across fields • Go to quiet places • Spend time near water [it has healing powers, too] • Cedar and cypress trees have been found to be especially beneficial. Plant trees!

• Use aromatherapy products These are just a few ways to take advantage of the amazing healing powers of forests and the natural world and support their protection.

Molly Larkin is co-author, with Muskogee Creek elder Bear Heart, of the international best-seller “The Wind Is My Mother; The Life and Teachings of a Native American Shaman.” (www.thewindismymother.com). She blogs about Ancient Wisdom for a Life in Balance at http://www.

mollylarkin.com

December 2019 | Just Breathe Magazine | 9

10 | Just Breathe Magazine | December 2019

Create

a Day of Indulgence at Home Visiting a spa provides an unmistakably luxurious and rejuvenating experience. But at $300 or more for a day of pampering, spas just aren’t in the budget for most of us.

This doesn’t mean the masses have to suffer the deprivation of spa-lessness. Learned to create your own spa treatments for a fraction of the cost.

by Laurel Vukovic

December 2019 | Just Breathe Magazine | 11

A Day of Indulgence (continued from page 11)

A spa at home allows you to customize treatments to your schedule, needs and preferences. For a complete spa experience, set aside time for a full-body treatment, including a deep-conditioning pack for your hair, facial sauna and mask, an aromatherapy bath and special treatments for your feet and hands. You might consider getting together with your partner or a friend to share this nurturing experience. If you don’t have the time for a full spa day, choose the treatments that are most appealing to you, and indulge yourself as often as you wish.

Prepare for Your Spa Experience To make your at-home spa day a reality, plan ahead and write your spa date on your calendar, as you would any other appointment. Schedule a couple of hours when you won’t be distracted by phone calls, family members or work-related activities. If possible, plan an entire day or a weekend for the ultimate regenerative experience.

Pamper yourself from head to toe and schedule time for simple pleasures such as reading, writing or other creative projects. If you have an entire day or weekend,

Here’s your itinerary for your luxurious Full-Body Spa Treatment • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Massage scalp with Rosemary Scalp Massage Apply Honey Hair Mask to hair and cover with shower cap Deep-cleanse skin with Herbal Facial Steam Exfoliate facial skin with Skin-Refining Exfoliation Apply Strawberry-Rosemary Rejuvenating Facial Mask Soak feet in Mineral Salts Foot Bath Smooth feet with Peppermint Foot Scrub Rinse off strawberry facial mask and apply HoneyLavender Moisturizing Mask Soak and relax in the bath of your choice While soaking in the bath, apply Rejuvenating Lemon Hand Mask Shower, using Sugar Body Polish, and shampoo hair Apply Aromatherapy Skin Toner and Nourishing Facial Oil Treat hands to Warm Almond Oil Cuticle Treatment

12 | Just Breathe Magazine | December 2019

you also can plan long walks, a yoga class and a massage.

Gather all the ingredients for your spa experience ahead of time. Most of the recipes below call for ingredients you might already have on hand; others are readily available in natural food stores.

During your spa day, eat fresh, light and healthful foods to help you feel and look your best. Drink plenty of fluids, including pure water with slices of fresh lemons, limes or oranges and sprigs of mint or lemon balm.

Make a pot of delicious herbal tea, such as peppermint, lemongrass or chamomile, to sip throughout the day.

Enjoy Shiny, Healthy Hair A simple scalp massage with essential oils increases circulation and helps keep the scalp and hair follicles healthy. Deep-conditioning treatments, such as the Honey Hair Mask restore moisture to hair and provide shine and softness.

Rosemary Scalp Massage What you’ll need: • 1 tablespoon of distilled witch hazel • 3 drops of rosemary essential oil • 5 drops of lavender essential oil Mix witch hazel with rosemary essential oil and lavender essential oil. Apply to your scalp, using the pads of your fingers to vigorously massage your scalp for a minute or two. Do not rinse your hair afterward. Follow with the Honey Hair Mask.

Honey Hair Mask What you’ll need: • honey • almond oil • rosemary essential oil • lavender essential oil Mix 3 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon almond oil, 3 drops rosemary essential oil and 3 drops lavender essential oil. Dampen your hair with warm water and massage the conditioning treatment onto your hair and scalp. Cover your hair with a plastic shower cap and leave the conditioning mask on your hair for 30 minutes or longer. Rinse with warm water, then shampoo and condition as usual.

Get Glowing: Facial Skin-Care The purpose of a facial is to improve circulation, deepcleanse, and smooth and moisturize the skin. A complete facial includes a cleansing steam, exfoliation, mask, toner and moisturizer.

Essential Oils for Your Skin Type: Normal skin: lavender, geranium, rose Dry skin: jasmine, rose, sandalwood Oily skin: bergamot, cypress, ylang ylang Sensitive skin: chamomile, lavender, neroli Mature skin: carrot seed, frankincense, palmarosa

Dried herbs for your skin type: Normal to dry skin: equal parts comfrey, chamomile, rose petals Oily or blemished skin: equal parts lavender, orange peel rosemary Mature or sensitive skin: equal parts chamomile, hibiscus, sage

Deep-Cleansing Herbal Facial Steam What you’ll need: • a large pot with lid • 2 quarts of purified or spring water • 3 tablespoons of dried herbs (see above for herbs for skin types) • a towel An herbal facial steam deep-cleanses pores, brings a healthy glow to your complexion and helps replenish moisture in the skin.

To prepare the facial steam, place water and dried herbs into a large, covered pot. Bring the water and herbs just barely to a boil, remove from heat, and steep for 10 minutes. Place the pot on a table, remove the lid and make a towel tent over both your head and the steaming pot, taking care not to burn yourself. Stay under the tent for 10 minutes to allow perspiration to deep-cleanse your skin. Follow with the Skin-Refining Exfoliation.

Skin-Refining Exfoliation What you’ll need: • 1 tablespoon finely ground rolled oats • 1 teaspoon finely ground almonds (grind oats and almonds separately in a clean coffee grinder) • rosewater Cleansing grains gently exfoliate the top layer of dead skin cells and leave your skin silky smooth.

To use, mix the cleansing grains with enough rose water to make a creamy paste. Gently massage the mixture onto damp skin and rinse well with warm water.

Follow with the Strawberry-Rosemary Rejuvenating Facial Mask, the Honey-Lavender Moisturizing Mask, or both.

Strawberry-Rosemary Rejuvenating Facial Mask What you’ll need: • 1 large ripe fresh strawberry • 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt • 1 drop rosemary essential oil • 2 drops of lavender essential oil • 1 teaspoon of cosmetic clay Strawberries and yogurt contain natural alpha-hydroxy acids that help soften and refine skin texture. Rosemary and lavender essential oils rejuvenate skin by stimulating cellular renewal.

Mash strawberry with yogurt. Mix in rosemary essential oil, lavender essential oil and cosmetic clay. Since cosmetic clay can be somewhat drying, if you have dry skin, add 1/2 teaspoon almond or jojoba oil to the mixture.

Apply the mask to freshly cleansed skin. Leave in place for 20 minutes or more, and then remove with a warm, wet washcloth. Follow with the Honey-Lavender Moisturizing Mask or a moisturizer.

Honey-Lavender Moisturizing Mask What you’ll need: • 1 tablespoon of honey • 3 drops of lavender essential oil Honey purifies, heals and moisturizes skin. Lavender essential oil is soothing and balancing for all skin types. (continued on page 14) December 2019 | Just Breathe Magazine | 13

A Day of Indulgence (continued from page 13) Mix the honey with lavender essential oil. Smooth onto damp skin. Leave on for 15 minutes or longer, and then remove with a warm, wet washcloth. Follow with Aromatherapy Skin Toner.

Aromatherapy Skin Toner What you’ll need: • 10 drops of essential oil for your skin type (see page 13) • 1 teaspoon of witch hazel extract • purified or spring water • a small (4-ounce) spray bottle An aromatherapy skin toner soothes and refreshes skin and temporarily tightens pores. Mix witch hazel extract and essential oil (or combination of oils) beneficial for your skin type in a small spray bottle. Fill the bottle with purified or spring water. Shake well, and spray skin lightly after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Nourishing Facial Oil What you’ll need: • 1 ounce of jojoba oil • 10 drops of essential oil (or combination of oils) for your skin type (see page 13) • a small glass dropper bottle

• •

5 drops lavender essential oil 2 drops clary sage

Epsom salts stimulate gentle detoxification and relax muscles, while baking soda soothes and softens skin.

Lavender, clary sage and sandalwood essential oils create a deeply relaxing and sensual bath experience.

Mix together Epsom salts and baking soda, then add essential oils one drop at a time. Fill the tub with comfortably warm water and add the bath salts, stirring with your hand to dissolve. Soak for 20 minutes or as long as desired. Follow with a cool-water rinse.

Soothing Oat Bath What you’ll need: • 2 cups of rolled oats • 1 cup of baking soda • 10 drops of lavender essential oil Oats, baking soda and lavender essential oil help to soften and sooth dry, itchy skin.

Grind rolled oats into a fine powder in a blender. Add the finely ground oats, baking soda and lavender essential oil to a bathtub of warm water. Soak for 20 minutes and follow with a cool-water rinse.

Sugar Body Polish

Jojoba oil is similar to sebum, the skin’s natural moisturizing oil. Mix jojoba oil with essential oils in a small glass dropper bottle. After cleansing and toning your skin, gently massage a few drops of the facial oil onto your damp skin.

What you’ll need: • 1/2 cup of sugar • 2 tablespoons almond oil • 2 drops ylang ylang essential oil • 3 drops orange essential oil

Luxuriate in an Herbal Bath

A sugar scrub exfoliates and smoothes skin without the irritation that salt scrubs can cause.

Baths are an essential part of the spa experience and are easy to duplicate at home. While running the water for your bath, take a few minutes to brush your skin with a natural bristle body brush. This gentle massage stimulates circulation and smoothes your skin. Follow by sinking into the luxurious bath of your choice.

Mix together sugar, almond oil, and essential oil. To use the body polish, take a quick warm shower to dampen your skin. While standing in the shower, gently massage the sugar mixture onto your skin. Rinse well with warm water.

Use a no-slip mat when using this scrub to prevent falls.

Relaxing Bath What you’ll need: • 1 cup of epsom salts • 1 cup of baking soda • 7 drops drops of sandalwood essential oil 14 | Just Breathe Magazine | December 2019

Treat Your Hands and Feet Hands and feet deserve special treatments to soften, smooth and repair damage from daily living. Treat your hands to a rejuvenating hand mask and a nourishing, warm oil cuticle treatment; indulge your feet with a foot soak and massage followed by an invigorating foot scrub.

...continued on page 16

Is Yoga Safe During Pregnancy?

by Annette Young For those who are looking for a way to increase their overall health and fitness while protecting their unborn baby, prenatal yoga may provide the perfect solution. Starting up an exercise program can be intimidating at any time, but more so for those who are pregnant as safety is always a concern.

Prenatal yoga takes this into consideration and follows sequences that have been modified specifically for pregnancy, allowing for the many physical and emotional changes that occur throughout the nine months.

At one time, pregnancy meant taking extra care and resting whenever possible but advice from health professionals have long since changed; women are now encouraged to work out throughout their pregnancy.

Prenatal yoga postures can help with strength and flexibility while relieving the typical discomforts such as the dreaded swollen ankles and lower back pain. This is of great benefit to many women during those last few months when pregnancy can become very uncomfortable.

But what can yoga really offer the new mom-to-be?

Yoga is non-competitive, so all students go at their own pace and the benefits experienced are on an individual level too.

• increase to the pain threshold • increased flexibility – opening up the hips which help • • • •

in childbirth abdominal strengthening inner peace reduction of stress less fatigue

Joining a class offers many benefits not just because it provides an opportunity to meet other moms to be and because the classes are smaller, extra attention is given to ensure correct alignment of the body. A yoga teacher will be able to ensure that certain postures are avoided.

There are numerous class details posted online and it may be that your local recreation centre holds prenatal yoga classes. The sessions are gentle and nurturing and increase the sense of well-being for all which can only be a positive thing for the baby.

December 2019 | Just Breathe Magazine | 15

A Day of Indulgence (continued from page 14) Rejuvenating Lemon Hand Mask

Mineral Salts Foot Bath

What you’ll need: • several almonds • 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt • juice of a lemon • 2 drops of frankincense essential oil

What you’ll need: • a large plastic basin for your feet • marbles to cover the bottom of the basin • 1/2 cup Epsom salts • 1/2 cup baking soda • 5 drops lavender essential oil • 2 drops patchouli or cypress essential oil (or 1 drop ea)

Almonds provide natural and gentle exfoliation. Yogurt and lemon soften and smooth hands, and frankincense essential oil has skin-rejuvenating properties.

Grind several almonds in a coffee grinder into a coarse powder. Combine 1 tablespoon ground almonds, plain yogurt, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and frankincense essential oil. Spread the mask onto the back of freshly washed hands and massage the mixture into your skin. Relax for 15 minutes or more, and then rinse well. Follow with the Warm Almond Oil Cuticle Treatment.

Warm Almond Oil Cuticle Treatment What you’ll need: • 1/4 cup of almond oil • 5 drops of lavender essential oil • 2 drops lemon essential oil

•

Warm almond oil to a comfortable temperature and stir in essential oils. Soak your fingertips in the warm oil for 10 minutes. Follow by washing your hands, massaging your nails and gently pushing back cuticles with your fingertips.

In a plastic basin large enough to hold both of your feet, place a layer of marbles. Fill the basin with hot water, and add the epsom salts, baking soda and essential oils.

Patchouli and cypress both help to deodorize feet. Soak your feet for 15 minutes, rolling your feet over the marbles for a gentle massage. Follow with Peppermint Foot Scrub.

Peppermint Foot Scrub What you’ll need: • 1/4 cup cornmeal • 1 tablespoon sea salt • 1 teaspoon almond oil • 5 drops of peppermint essential oil • 3 drops of rosemary essential oil Mix together cornmeal, sea salt, almond oil, peppermint and rosemary essential oil. Add a small amount of warm water to make a thick paste, and massage your feet with the mixture. Rinse well.

Interested in more amazingly simple and NATURAL spa quality products to make from home? Maybe even sell your products at Craft Fairs, Local Markets and on-line? You will love The Handcrafter’s Companion.

Loaded with tried and true recipes with easy to find ingredients! It is in Just Breathe Magazine’s office library for sure! Beware, your house will smell so good you might never want to leave! Click on the ad for more information.

16 | Just Breathe Magazine | December 2019

Get the Plump Lips You’ve Always Wanted!

To get plumper lips is on the wish list of any woman who wants to feel beautiful. Discover how Idol Lips can make heads turn and give you the confidence of a Hollywood star. The Idol Lips Plumper uses the latest technologies to instantly plump, hydrate and moisturize for healthier, sexier looking lips.

There is not a woman on this planet that does not want full, sexy lips. The number of cosmetic procedures performed every year alone is proof of this! We lust after celebrities who have a sexy pout, and we try to imitate it by being a bit too generous with lipstick or even resort to painful collagen injections. Now, none of this is necessary anymore! You can give yourself fuller lips instantly with Idol Lips.

Don’t Be Fooled by Imitations!

There are countless products on the market that promise to plump your lips. Most of them do not work, or have painful side effects, like burning, extreme tingling or they dry out your lips. On the contrary, Idol Lips treats and moisturizes your lips to keep them beautiful, while making them appear fuller and sexier. Don’t spend hundred of dollars on products that do not work, or spend thousands on painful cosmetic procedures.

Plastic surgery or injections are not only painful, they are very risky! On top of that they have to be repeated every couple of months to keep your sexy pout, not to mention that not all procedures are successful. You may even end up with a bigger problem than you started out with. Idol Lips will give you fuller, luscious lips you can be proud of.

December 2019 | Just Breathe Magazine | 17

Anxiety

Two Quick Tips To Treat Panic Attacks Panic attacks are usually accompanied by shortness of breath and pain in the chest. Victims of anxiety attacks should have the basic knowledge on how to stop panic attacks so that any further damage can be avoided.

by Barry McDonagh

18 | Just Breathe Magazine | December 2019

December 2019 | Just Breathe Magazine | 19

Panic Attacks - Continued from page 20 Usually, sufferers of panic attacks inaccurately assess the situation as a heart attack, thus leading to further anxiety.

In order to combat anxiety attacks, one must keep a strong mind in order to eliminate the anxiety and stop the attack within minutes. There are some basic techniques that can be done by everyone to stop panic attacks.

Causes of Panic Attacks The short and obvious answer: panic attacks are caused by high anxiety. But, what exactly is anxiety? Understanding how anxiety crops up will help you defeat panic attacks.

One of the biggest myths surrounding anxiety is that it is harmful and can lead to a number of various life-threatening conditions.

Definition of Anxiety Anxiety is defined as a state of apprehension or fear resulting from the anticipation of a real or imagined threat, event, or situation. It is one of the most common human emotions experienced by people at some point in their lives.

However, most people who have never experienced a panic attack, or extreme anxiety, fail to realize the terrifying nature of the experience. Extreme dizziness, blurred vision, tingling and feelings of breathlessness—and that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

When these sensations occur and people do not understand why, they feel they have contracted an illness, or a serious mental condition. The threat of losing complete control seems very real and naturally very terrifying.

Fight/Flight Response: One of the root causes of panic attacks I am sure most of you have heard of the fight/flight response as an explanation for one of the root causes of panic attacks.

Anxiety is a response to a danger or threat. It is so named because all of its effects are aimed toward either fighting or fleeing from the danger. Thus, the sole purpose of anxiety is to protect the individual from harm. This may seem ironic given that you no doubt feel your anxiety is actually causing you great harm…perhaps the most significant of all the causes of panic attacks.

20 | Just Breathe Magazine | December 2019

However, the anxiety that the fight/flight response created was vital in the daily survival of our ancient ancestors— when faced with some danger, an automatic response would take over that propelled them to take immediate action such as attack or run. Even in today’s hectic world, this is still a necessary mechanism. It comes in useful when you must respond to a real threat within a split second.

Anxiety is a built-in mechanism to protect us from danger.

Interestingly, it is a mechanism that protects but does not harm—an important point that will be elaborated upon later.

Mental and Psychological Aspects As they all say, it is all in the mind. Hand in hand with the physical aspects, victims should consider strengthening his or her mental or psychological aspects. This will pave the way towards effectively eliminating anxiety attacks. The following techniques can do wonders: •

Eliminate the hardships and pain by clearing one’s mind of any thoughts. This is the most practical way of eliminating any kind of fear and this works well for anxiety attacks. Believe it or not, it can be a very liberating experience because you are freeing your mind of all the fears and negative thoughts.

•

Maintain a positive outlook at all times. This is an effective preventive mechanism. By allowing positive thoughts to occupy your mind, chances are, you will no longer feel any fear. Negative thoughts can be successfully driven out of your system. The simplest way of doing this is by revisiting praises that you have received recently or by recalling pleasurable events from your past.

By controlling some important physical aspects, one can avoid further sufferings caused by anxiety attacks. Here are some of the most effective techniques on how to stop panic attacks that are connected with the sufferers’ physical aspects: •

The basic rule: Relax your body and keep your eyes shut. This may sound very simplistic but it can go a long way. By removing stress of any sort in your body, it will be easier to control other aspects that contribute to the situation. According to reports, simply closing one’s eyes can do wonders because it can stop the attack right there and then. When the victim gets to successfully relax, his or her brain will no longer entertain any negative thoughts. This can lead to successfully stopping the attack.

• Learn the proper breathing techniques. Proper breathing can spell the difference between success and failure in combating panic attacks. Experts suggest the victim hold his or her breath for around 7 to 8 seconds, and when breathing in, make sure that the victim is holding as much air as he or she can. In addition, one must breathe in and out from the bottom of one’s chest.

These are just some of the effective ways on how to stop panic attacks. Simple problems often call for easy solutions.

When having a panic attack, the first rule is not to succumb to the panic. These techniques will definitely help you through.

Try holding your breath for as long as you can. No matter how strong your mental will is, it can never override the will of the body. This is good news—no matter how hard you try to convince yourself that you are gong to die from a panic attack, you won’t. Your body will override that fear and search for a state of balance. There has never been a reported incident of someone dying from a panic attack.

Remember this next time you have a panic attack; the causes of panic attacks cannot do you any physical harm.

Your mind may make the sensations continue longer than the body intended, but eventually everything will return to a state of balance. In fact, balance (homeostasis) is what our body continually strives for.

Stop panic attacks naturally and learn once and for all how to stop anxiety attacks

Get back your life and get rid of this problem once and for all.

December 2019 | Just Breathe Magazine | 21

22 | Just Breathe Magazine | December 2019

Say Goodbye to colds and flu

Ah, winter. Yes, it’s cold and flu season again and you’re looking for some relief. Although colds and flus are caused by different types of viruses, both can leave you feeling tired, coughing, feverish, achy, and foggy-headed.

by Kathi Keville

December 2019 | Just Breathe Magazine | 23

Say Goodbye to Colds and Flu (continued from page 27)

You’ve probably discovered that conventional medicine has little to offer the bleary-eyed sufferer. Over-the-counter remedies such as aspirin, and even prescription drugs, only suppress symptoms; they don’t cure the illness or make you well any faster. While antihistamines dry sinuses, they can also irritate your nose and throat and prolong the infection.

As for antibiotics, including penicillin, they don’t target viruses at all and should only be prescribed if a bacterial infection follows the cold or flu.

Simply suppressing symptoms can impair your body’s natural ability to fend off disease. Symptoms tell you what’s wrong and what to do about it. Headaches, sore muscles, and feeling tired indicate that you need rest, and fever or indigestion is a sign to eat lightly.

Herbal treatments help your body heal itself and boost natural immunity. Your cold or flu probably won’t disappear immediately, but chances are you will get well sooner and more completely. Then, when next winter rolls along, you may be less likely to pick up a cold. You’ll find plenty of herbal cold and flu remedies in the health-food store, or follow my simple recipes to make your own. In either case, have these remedies on hand in your medicine cabinet so that when the next cold or flu strikes, you’ll be prepared.

Antiviral herbs Researchers have discovered that some herbs destroy viruses, and they’re studying ways to turn these herbs into pharmaceuticals. But you needn’t wait. Among the herbs that have already been found to inhibit viruses, including the flu, are lavender and eucalyptus. Also packing an antiviral punch are rosemary, lemon balm, hyssop, peppermint and tea tree. All of these herbs also foil bacteria responsible for infections of the throat, lungs, sinuses, ears, and eyes that often tag on the heels of a cold or flu. In addition, they relax coughing spasms, aid digestion, and lower a fever by encouraging circulation and sweating.

Tannin compounds found in other herbs such as white oak bark and bayberry destroy flu and other types of viruses, so it’s no wonder they are traditional cold and flu treatments.

You can even eat your way to good health by seasoning your food with garlic, thyme, marjoram, cinnamon, and black pepper to eradicate viral and bacterial infections. Ginger is not only antiviral, it also lowers fevers and reduces muscle soreness.

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If you are looking for ways to make the medicine go down easier, mix cold and flu herbs with virus-fighting apple or grape juice. You can also make your own ginger ale by adding sparkling bottled water to ginger tea. Or, try elderberry, which is not only sold as a part of herbal formulas but as pleasant-tasting tonic juice. Researcher Madeleine Mumcuoglu first learned about elderberries’ long history of use as a flu remedy from her mentor, Jean Linderman, Ph.D., who found that the berries help prevent the flu virus from invading healthy cells. Flu sufferers in her study got better faster with elderberry compared to drug medications.

Immune boosting herbs Boosting your immune system with herbs will help you get better faster when you’re sick and stave off future illness.

Russian children were more resistant to a serious flu epidemic that swept through their town when given the Chinese herb schisandra.

In another study, taking Siberian ginseng meant that people living in the cold regions of northeastern China got far fewer colds and had fewer cases of bronchitis. Lavender, lemon, and bergamot stimulate the production of infection-fighting white blood cells called leukocytes.

Studies show that people who take echinacea, one of the most popular immune-enhancing herbs, came down with fewer colds. When the echinacea-takers did get sick, all of their symptoms—weakness, chills, sweating, sore throat, muscle and joint pain, and headaches—were less severe.

Echinacea particularly helped anyone who tended to pick up several colds a year. One way the herb works is by strengthening a cell’s protective membrane, making it less susceptible to viral invasion and more resistant to infection.

Along with licorice and the Chinese herb astragalus, echinacea increases T-cell activity to improve general immunity.

Echinacea and licorice seem to slow down viral replication by increasing the production of macrophages—white blood cells that devour viruses. When taken as a preventive to keep from getting sick in the first place, a good plan is to take echinacea for a week or two, then lay off of it for a week. This may also be true of other herbs that enhance the immune system. I’m often asked if this means echinacea is toxic. Not at all. Think of it as teaching your immune system how to operate, then giving it a chance to practice.

Other symptoms Besides fighting viruses and bacteria directly, herbs can relieve unpleasant symptoms caused by colds and flu.

Eucalyptus, rosemary, peppermint, and bergamot thin and eliminate congestion, particularly in the sinuses. Mullein, elecampane and horehound open up the lungs so you can breathe better. Anise suppresses coughing by working on the brain’s cough center. Natural herbal aspirins such as willow bark or meadowsweet reduce fever and pain.

Ginger and peppermint can help settle an upset stomach.

The most popular antihistamine to relieve sinus congestion and dilate bronchial passages is ephedra, or ma huang.

Most herbal preparations are made with the whole herb, although formulas that use an “extra-strength” extract or derivative have run into controversy. The ephedra debate mostly concerns people who frequently use large amounts of the plant in herbal diet pills or combine it with recreational drugs. Herbalists still recommend moderate doses to relieve the congestion of a cold or flu, as long as you don’t have heart or thyroid problems, high blood pressure or diabetes, or take antidepressants.

Six herbal cold and flu busters Herbs are most effective when taken at the first sign of illness. Make your own cold and flu remedies ahead of time so that they’re in your medicine cabinet when needed. It’s fine to use more than one remedy. For example, you can treat a sore throat with the herbal steam in the morning before work, then switch to the spray and cough lozenges while you’re on the go during the day.

For the quickest relief, try to use at least one remedy every hour or two. Herbal cough syrups and cough drops are convenient to use, so many people rely on them to soothe a sore throat. However, syrups and drops typically contain 70 percent sugar or other sweetener, which slows down immune-system activity. I suggest going easy on them or searching for an unsweetened variety, and relying more on some of the following remedies instead.

COLD AND FLU TEA

• • • •

1/2 teaspoon peppermint leaves 1/2 teaspoon echinacea root 1/2 teaspoon schisandra berries 3 cups boiling water

Combine the herbs in a teapot and pour the boiling water over them. Steep for at least 20 minutes. Strain and drink throughout the day. You can make a double batch and keep it in the refrigerator. Just be sure to warm it before drinking.

Drinking two to three cups of the following tea, nice and hot, will make you sweat and lower a fever. Afterward, if possible, tuck yourself into a warm bed.

Besides fighting viruses and bacteria directly, herbs can relieve unpleasant symptoms caused by colds and flu.

SIMPLE SAGE GARGLE The sage (Salvia officinalis) used in the following recipe is a classic gargle, but other herbs such as marjoram, thyme, or hyssop can replace it. Opera singers once used marjoram to ease a strained throat.

• 1 cup boiling water • 2 teaspoons fresh or dried sage leaves • 1/4 ounce salt Pour the boiling water over the sage, cover, and steep for 20 minutes. Strain and add the salt. Gargle as needed. Store in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

STEAM Warm, moist air opens nasal and bronchial passages.

Combined with herbs, steam is one of the most effective, all-purpose cold and flu cures. To humidify and disinfect the entire house, simmer the water with the herbs or essential oils on low heat for half an hour. Essential oils can also be used in most commercial humidifiers. Check the instructions.

When you’re huddled at home nursing a cold or flu, a warm cup of herb tea is comfort in itself. An advantage to drinking tea is that the liquid thins congestion and flushes out toxins.

It’s true that tea is time-consuming, but try to find time to take care of yourself when you’re sick.

• • • •

• 1/2 teaspoon yarrow flowers • 1/2 teaspoon elder flowers

Simmer the water in a pan. Remove from the heat and add the oils (you can get the same effect by putting 1/8 cup total ...continued on page 26

3 cups water 5 drops of lavender essential oil 5 drops of rosemary essential oil 5 drops of bergamot essential oil

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Cold and Flu (continued from page 25)

NASAL INHALERS

of fresh or dried herbs in the simmering water instead of the essential oils). Hold your face over the steam and cover your head with a bath towel. Tuck the ends of the towel around the pan so the steam doesn’t escape. Breathe in the fragrant steam as deeply as you comfortably can, coming out for fresh air when needed (about every minute or so).

By the way, this combination not only works great, it also smells heavenly!

Aromatherapy nasal inhalers contain essential oils that you deeply inhale directly into your sinuses. They are less effective than steaming but are very convenient to carry.

You’ll find them in natural food stores and some pharmacies.

For a homemade version, add a few drops of essential oil of peppermint and/or eucalyptus to rock salt and carry this in a small vial with a tight lid. Open and inhale the scent as needed.

THROAT SPRAY A diluted lemon spray is one of the most effective tools to knock down a cold or flu. Other herbs to use in a throat spray are lavender, eucalyptus and peppermint. When sprayed through the air, terpene compounds in these oils combine with oxygen to increase the oil’s antiseptic properties.

• • • •

15 drops lemon essential oil 5 drops peppermint essential oil 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup lemon juice

Combine the ingredients and pour the concoction into a spray bottle. Shake well, then gently spray into your throat throughout the day.

VAPOR RUBS Ointments called vapor rubs are designed to be rubbed directly on the chest and throat. They rely on essential oils such as peppermint and eucalyptus to produce a heating sensation that reduces constriction by stimulating blood circulation. The oils in a vapor balm are also absorbed through the skin to relieve congestion and kill infection.

They serve double duty—the antibiotic scent is also inhaled into the lungs. Vapor balms sold in pharmacies still use compounds derived from antibiotic essential oils (or synthetic counterparts), such as thymol from thyme and menthol from mint. Making your own is easy, and ensures you that your are using only natural ingredients.

10 drops eucalyptus essential oil 10 drops peppermint essential oil 3 drops thyme essential oil 1/8 cup olive oil Combine the ingredients and rub on your chest and throat.

To increase the warmth of the balm, rub the oil briskly onto the skin. A warm piece of flannel placed on the chest afterward will increase the warming sensation.

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A Final Word Spending a day or two in bed nursing a cold or flu with herbs is a luxury not everyone thinks they can afford, but consider it an investment in health. You may save yourself a week of misery in which you end up in bed after all. Sleep gives your cells a chance to regenerate from viral damage and keeping warm deactivates the virus. And while you’re at it, drink lots of fluids to flush out the infection.

Take vitamin C with rose hips. Eat lightly, avoiding milk products, citrus, and refined grain products—they increase mucus production. Don’t be too hasty to lower a fever.

The heat it produces inhibits the growth of viruses and encourages elimination of mucus. You can also increase immunity by keeping physical exertion and emotional stress to a minimum.

- Kathi Keville is the author of eleven books, including Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art (Crossing Press, 1995) and Herbs for Health and Healing (Rodale, 1996). She teaches herb and aromatherapy seminars throughout the US and is director of the American Herb Association.

Editors Note: In case you are not familiar with them, essential oils are highly concentrated little drops of goodness distilled from a variety of botanicals proven to have positive effects on our physical and emotional well-being. When a recipe calls for essential oils, be sure to use only therapeutic grade true essential oils and not a synthetic version. Purchase them from a reputable source. The bottle should be labeled “Essential Oil”.

If in doubt, ask, or visit our trusted advertisers for your best options.

Saving Face

by Kathlyn Quatrochi

During the cold months, does your skin feel like a desert lizard’s? Blame it on the humidity—or the lack of it. Cold air holds less moisture than warm air does, and it tends to draw moisture from your body. The artificially heated air indoors or in your car does the same thing. Even your skin’s natural defenses are down, as its production of oils, which help to keep in moisture, declines in winter. You may have noticed some new wrinkles or even cracks in your skin.

If moving to the tropics is out of the question, or even if it’s not, herbs can come to the rescue. Take some time for yourself, put on your snuggliest pajamas, and treat yourself to an herbal ­facial designed to restore moisture to your skin—and boost your spirits to boot.

Throughout history, herbs have been used topically for both their healing and cosmetic properties. The English used lavender soap as much for a clear complexion as to experience its clean fragrance. As long ago as the fifteenth century, calendula ... continued on page 53 December 2019 | Just Breathe Magazine | 27

The Benefits of RED Tea - And 7 Reasons You Should Drink Some NOW

Known for thousands of years to help treat headaches, stomach aches, allergies, and skin problems, natural Rooibos tea (or commonly known as red bush tea) from South Africa contains powerful antioxidants and trace minerals that work together to maintain good health. Naturally sweet and calorie free, Rooibos tea benefits young and old alike.

by Chris Harmen

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Rooibos Tea Benefits (continued from page 31) Rooibos tea, from the South African red bush plant, has long provided fast, flavorful relief from many common maladies.

Headaches, stomach aches, skin problems, and allergies can all be alleviated through the regular consumption of this herbal tea. But that’s just the beginning – here are seven more remarkable Rooibos tea benefits… so drink up!

Powerful Antioxidants & Flavonoids Just as air makes metal rust, there are atoms called free radicals that attack the cells of our body. The damage caused by free radicals can lead to a domino effect of aging, illness, heart disease and cancer. The natural antioxidants and flavonoids found in red bush attack and halt this damage, reducing the likelihood of wrinkles, stroke, and heart disease. The plant also contains a particular flavonoid called aspalathin, found nowhere else in nature, which research has shown to have effects similar to Vitamin E. Healthy Hydration Black tea and green tea have been making headlines as promoting good health with antioxidants and flavonoids, and Rooibos is fast gaining popularity for the same reasons.

Unlike the black and green varieties, however, Rooibos tea is caffeine-free and the naturally sweet flavor typically means fewer (if any) sweetener needs to be added.

Silky Smooth Skin Staying properly hydrated is only one way of keeping skin healthy and silky smooth. The antioxidant properties of red bush tea fight against skin damaging free radicals.

Both drinking and external use of this South African tea benefits skin by reducing inflammation from eczema, acne, psoriasis, and even diaper rash.

Love Your Heart Drinking Rooibos tea benefits blood vessel health and reduces inflammation, thereby reducing strain on the heart.

The antioxidants benefit the heart another way as well; too much oxygen can actually cause damage to the body; this is called oxidative stress. A balance between oxidants and antioxidants is an important factor to deterring heart disease.

A Balanced Beverage Unlike sodas, artificially flavored fruit drinks, coffee, or alcohol, drinking Rooibos tea benefits your health in many ways. Naturally sweet and calorie free, this tea doesn’t add unwanted calories and it is safe for diabetics. It also contains 9 essential minerals and fluoride, and is very low in tannins.

Something To Smile About Red bush contains calcium and trace minerals that work to keep teeth strong and healthy. This tea benefits your smile in others ways as well. It contains fluoride that can help prevent plaque formation and the ensuing periodontal disease it can cause.

Sweet Dreams And Calm Tummies Due to its soothing effect, it is believed to help with insomnia, irritability, headaches, mild depression and nervous tension. It also offers significant anti-spasmodic relief, alleviating stomach cramps and constipation as well colic in infants. Babies of South Africa are frequently given this healthful tea to provide relief from digestive troubles and to help them sleep. Healthy or ill, these children reap the same benefits as adults from red bush tea: antioxidant protection, improved hydration, and better dental health.

The tea will leave you feeling calm and rested too.

The tea is an uplifting way o f starting th e day an d it’s equally perfect for unwinding at night.

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The Red Tea Detox

We’re taking the challenge. Want to join us?

After learning about and experiencing first hand the amazing natural health benefits of Red (Rooibos) Tea, the staff at Just Breathe Magazine® are taking the Red Tea Detox challenge. Follow us as we report our progress in upcoming issues of Just Breathe Magazine®. If you’d like to join us on this journey, we’d love to hear from you. Tell us how you are doing and we may publish your comments in upcoming issues too!

So, what’s it all about?

The Red Tea Detox is a brand-new cleansing program that detoxifies the body and sheds pounds quickly and safely.

It allows almost anyone to lose 14lbs in just a matter of weeks.

Based on more than a decade of research spanning over 500 medical studies as well as almost three years of real-world testing, this program has the results – and the science – to back it up.

Liz Swann Miller, creator of The Red Tea Detox, is a six-time best-selling author with over 10 years of experience as a practicing Naturopath (ND).

She discovered the unique recipe for this energizing tea, the foundation of the program, during her travels deep into the heart of Africa. And best of all, the ingredients are so common they can be found in virtually any store.

Reproduced here for the first time in the Western world, The Red Tea Detox passes on the recipe for this incredible tea in the form of a fully digital product, making it available to customers instantaneously.

This comprehensive book is broken down into three different sections: Diet: This portion of The Red Tea Detox outlines the importance of detoxifying the body before weight loss efforts, why toxins can hold your metabolism back, and the overall benefits of a red tea-cleansed system for both the body and mind. What’s more, it outlines in detail which energy-rich foods can help you burn fat faster than ever before.

For supplemental reading on the Red Tea Detox plan, click on the graphic above to download the free guide.

Exercise: The exercise section is designed to complement the diet portion of The Red Tea Detox. It consists of a variety of supercharged exercises that will help melt body fat rapidly. Coupled with the metabolism-boosting diet, these quick and effective routines have the potential to almost double the weight loss results.

Willpower, Motivation, and Mindset: This third section delves into some of the most common myths about willpower and how truly understanding the underlying realities of motivation can revolutionize your weight loss – and your life. It’s a vital part of this program that has helped many to lose weight fast and keep it off for good.

These three elements combined create one of the most comprehensive and easy-to-use detoxification programs to date. People all over the world are already using it to lose weight quickly and easily while living a healthier and happier life along the way.

Click the graphic above and join us on our journey to a healthier, leaner new year!!

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Yule

get the most out of the winter solstice celebration Yule is the celebration of the Winter Solstice - when the night is the longest and the day is the shortest of the year. Some consider Yule to be either the year’s beginning or the end.

Either way, this is the time to celebrate the return of the light.

by Autumn Borne

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Celebrating Yule (continued from page 32) The date of this sabbat varies from December 20 to December 23 depending on the year in the Gregorian calendar. The winter solstice is celebrated at this time in the northern hemisphere but it is now time to celebrate the summer solstice (Litha) in the southern hemisphere due to the seasonal differences.

Yule, (pronounced EWE-elle) is when the dark half of the year relinquishes to the light half. Starting the next morning at sunrise, the sun climbs just a little higher and stays a little longer in the sky each day. Known as Solstice Night, or the longest night of the year, the sun’s “rebirth” was celebrated with much joy. On this night, our ancestors celebrated the rebirth of the Oak King, the Sun King, the Giver of Life that warmed the frozen Earth. From this day forward, the days would become longer.

Bonfires were lit in the fields, and crops and trees were “wassailed” with toasts of spiced cider. Children were escorted from house to house with gifts of clove-spiked apples and oranges which were laid in baskets of evergreen boughs and wheat stalks dusted with flour. The apples and oranges represented the sun. The boughs were symbolic of immortality (evergreens were sacred to the Celts because they did not “die” thereby representing the eternal aspect of the Divine). The wheat stalks portrayed the harvest, and the flour was accomplishment of triumph, light, and life.

Holly and ivy not only decorated the outside, but also the inside of homes, in hopes Nature Sprites would come and join the celebration. A sprig of Holly was kept near the door all year long as a constant invitation for good fortune to visit the residents. Mistletoe was also hung as decoration. It represented the seed of the Divine, and at Midwinter, the Druids would travel deep into the forest to harvest it.

Yule represents the solar turning of the tides, and the newborn Sun that offers a fresh start and, literally, a new day.

At the Winter Solstice, the two god themes of the year’s cycle coincide. Yule marks the death and the rebirth of the Sun God; it also marks the vanquishing of the Holly King, the god of the Waning Year, by the Oak King, the God of the Waxing Year.

On Yule, when decorating houses, many do so from the doorway inward, thus symbolizing inviting the light inside.

Adorn your doorways and mantles with evergreen boughs, bunches of dried summer herbs and other symbolic botanicals such as pine cones, oak leaves, and dried apples.

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Many customs created around Yule are identified with Christmas today. If you decorate your home with a Yule tree, holly or candles, you are following some of these old traditions.

According to Patti Wigington, in many magical traditions, practitioners use what are known as “correspondences” to create symbolic magical links. Correspondence tables can help you select which stone, crystal, herb, or other magical tool to use in a ritual or working. The concept is that everything has a signature, of sorts, that connects it to symbols and meanings. Take a look at this list of magical correspondences for Yule, and use them when working on a ritual of your own. It can be as simple as adorning your space with botanicals, lighting candles, wearing a gemstone, making and eating some delicious Yule Corresponding foods, or spritzing the air with essential oils.

These are easy ways to celebrate and bring more magic of hope, rebirth, renewal and reflection into your life this Yule season!

Botanicals

Bay Laurel, Blessed Thistle, Chamomile, Cinnamon, Holly, Ivy, Juniper, Mistletoe, Pine, Poinsettias, Rosemary, Sage, Wintergreen

Animals

Bear, Deer, Owl, Reindeer, Snow Geese, Squirrel, Stag, Cardinal, Wren, and Raven

Gem Stones

Ruby, Bloodstone, Garnet, Emerald, Diamond, Clear Quartz

Essential Oils

Cedar, Cinnamon, Clove, Frankincense, Juniper, Myrrh, Orange, Pine, Ginger, Wintergreen

Colours (to wear or for candles) Red, Green, White, Gold

Foods

Cookies and caraway cakes soaked in cider, nuts, eggnog, ginger tea, spiced cider, mincemeat pies, fruit cakes, spiced cinnamon cakes, dried fruits, gingerbread, mulled wine, roasted and spiced meats, roasted apples Patti Wigington is a Pagan author and educator who holds workshops and classes on Paganism throughout the U.S.

Our ancestors brought an evergreen tree inside to mystically ensure there would be light all year round.

The evergreen retains sunlight, staying green all year, and reminds us that life is forever present and renewable.

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Three easy tips to create

a more natural bedroom

The former “fringe” back-to-nature movement has become mainstream in North America and nowhere is the desire for a more natural approach to living more prevalent than in our homes. From organically grown fruits and vegetables to VOC-free paint choices, the trend is toward fewer additives, synthetics and chemicals.

But for all the farmers market-purchased food in the kitchen and goat milk soaps in the bathroom, one room that has been neglected in the quest for a more natural home is the bedroom. However, it doesn’t take very much to make the bedroom more natural or “green.” Here are three easy and effective tips:

Choose natural bedding materials Down and feathers come from nature, are biodegradable and renewable; consequently they have the lowest carbon footprint of any bedding fill material.

Thirty-six percent of U.S. adults use down and feather bedding precisely because it is eco-friendly, according to a recently completed Harris Survey commissioned

by The American Down and Feather Council (ADFC).

Being a natural insulator, down helps regulate body heat for an optimal sleeping experience, which allows homeowners to turn down the thermostat at night and save on heating costs. The survey found that 55 percent of U.S. adults who use down and feather bedding have chosen it precisely for its natural warmth.

Add fresh plants and flowers to your decor Live plants act as natural air filters and some plants - spider plants, ferns, rubber plants and palm trees - are particularly effective absorbers of chemical pollutants emitted from carpets, furniture and electronic equipment. Adding fresh flowers and plants to your bedroom helps with the natural cycle of carbon dioxide and oxygen, improving the overall air quality in your bedroom.

Take advantage of nature’s best heater: the sun In the cold winter months, open blinds, draperies, and shutters during the day to let solar energy warm and brighten your room naturally. In the hot summer months, be sure to do the opposite, and close your window coverings to prevent your bedroom from overheating and causing air conditioning units or fans to work harder, thus using more energy.

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Warming Winter Baths

One of my favourite rituals on a cold winter night is slipping into a warm, soothing bath. Depending on the ingredients you add and water temperature, a bath can relax, energize or help soothe the aches and chills of a cold or flu. {For more home remedies on battling cold and flu, see Kathi Keville's article on page 23}

For the ultimate bathing experience, I’ll light a few candles, sip a cup of herbal tea, or maybe a nice glass of red wine!

by Sandra Clarke

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Winter Baths (continued from page 39) A few drops of fragrant essential oils easily transform a bath into a spa-like experience. (See our article and recipes on creating home-spa treatments, page 12) But essential oils are far more than just pleasing aromas. These concentrated plant essences retain the healing properties of the herbs and flowers from which they are distilled. Relief from anxiety and stress, muscle tension and insomnia are just a few of the benefits attributed to aromatherapy.

For best results, add essential oils to the bath water just before entering the tub and mix the oils into the water with your hand to disperse. Keep in mind that true essential oils are highly concentrated, so a few drops go a long way. Also use caution with oils that can cause skin irritation, such as basil, peppermint, lemon and orange. These oils are best used in very small amounts — no more than a couple of drops per bath.

Adding earth and sea minerals, such as Epsom salts, baking soda and sea salt to a bath replicates the healing effects of natural mineral springs. Baths with mineral salts relax the mind and body, stimulate gentle purification, soothe tired and sore muscles, and soften the skin.

Calming Essential Oils Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) Clary sage (Salvia sclarea) Frankincense (Boswellia carterii) Jasmine (Jasminum officinale) Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) Marjoram (Origanum majorana) Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) Rose (Rosa spp.)

Rose geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) Sandalwood (Santalum album) Vetiver (Vetiveria zizaniodes) Ylang ylang (Cananga odorata)

Uplifting Essential Oils Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) Lemon (Citrus limon) Lime (Citrus aurantifolia) Orange (Citrus sinensis) Peppermint (Mentha ¥piperita) Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Spearmint (Mentha spicata)

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Give the Gift of Relaxation with Herbal Bath Blends

by Tina Marie Wilcox and Susan Belsinger You can pamper your loved ones year-round by creating these personalized, high-quality bath soaks and salts.

As the holidays approach it’s easy to be pulled into the consumption stream. But do we really want to fight traffic and swim through the multitudes in the malls? Must we?

Suppose instead that we focus on tranquility with gifts of herbal bath blends to impart a message of love and peace to the folks on our gift lists.

The ingredients can be homegrown or of a high quality from vendors near home. These are gifts we can make from imagination and wisdom, laced through and through with intimate knowledge of our friends and family members. Part of the fun can be inventive packaging that’s appropriate to the product and the person. Always include instructions for use.

FIRST, A WORD OF CAUTION Because each individual may react differently, be sure to include the instruction to do a patch test on the skin before using the product, especially if you or your loved one has not used this particular blend before. Advise your gift’s recipient to apply a small amount of the product, dissolved in a little water if it’s solid, on the inner part of the elbow and wait a few hours to see if any redness or itching develops. Many essential oils are not safe for use by pregnant or nursing women. Do your research carefully if you are giving herbal gifts to an expectant mother or others who may be at risk of an adverse reaction.

GET CALM WITH HERBAL BATH THERAPY An aromatic bath or foot soak is one of the simplest and most pleasurable forms of herbal therapy. Just the thought of soaking in hot water is relaxing, but when you add herbs or essential oils, the experience becomes a sensory treat that can soothe, rejuvenate or stimulate. We’ll discuss how to use dried herbs and flowers on their own and in combination with essential oils (be sure to use pure, natural essential oils, not fragrance oils that are synthetically produced), salts and other oils for the bath and shower.

You can create your own scents or use the following recipes as a guide. These aromatic preparations can be packaged and presented in pretty bottles or containers. They can be

her recipients to add a few drops of almond or sesame oil, not more than a teaspoon, to the water. It softens and lubricates the skin and it captures the scent of the bath herbs so that it lingers on your skin.

SOOTHE THE SOUL WITH BATH AND MASSAGE OILS Because essential oils are concentrated and very strong, they should be added to carrier oils before applying to the skin. Most essential oils should not be applied directly to the skin.

These aromatic preparations can be packaged and presented in pretty bottles or containers.

combined with other spa items such as a nail brush, sisal washcloth or luffa, bath brush, cotton washcloth or towel, potpourri or whatever you dream up, and packed into a nice basket or box for a total pampering experience.

We generally use organic, cold-pressed oils such as almond, grapeseed, jojoba or sesame as carrier oils and buy them in small amounts so they are fresh. Usually we blend two or three, sometimes four, different essential oils together when making blends for the bath or massage. We use 20 to 24 drops of essential oil to 2 ounces (about 4 tablespoons or 1/4 cup) of carrier oil for bath blends, less for massage oils. You can use more essential oil in a bath blend because it will be extremely diluted in a tub of hot water.

LUXURIOUS BATHS IN A BAG For gifts that are simple to create, we use dried herbs, flowers, seeds and citrus peel to make bath blends and tie them up in pieces of muslin or cheesecloth. The small muslin bags used for bouquet garni and tea blends are ideal for this, since they can be emptied, washed and dried, and used again. We often package herb bath blends in a jar, tie on a filled bag, and write instructions on the label as to how much to use and how to recycle the cloth bags. We also have used the paper tea bags that you fill and iron to seal closed, and we put a dozen or so of them in a jar — all your recipient has to do is drop one or two of them in a tub of hot water.

Some favorite combinations are lavender leaves and flowers with a few rose petals; lemon herbs and/or anise leaves with fennel or coriander seeds; rose geranium with orange or grapefruit peel; and chamomile with lemon peel or lemon herbs. We find lemon balm to be an excellent sleepy-time bath herb, while mint and rosemary are stimulating.

Include directions so there is no question how to use your homemade gift. “Place the bag in the tub or hang it from the faucet as you draw your bath.” Susan usually advises December 2019 | Just Breathe Magazine | 41

Gift of Relaxation (continued from page 41)

SOAK THOSE TOOTSIES

We use bath oils for cold symptoms (this works well for children), muscle aches, to soothe and relax, or to renew and stimulate. A blend we frequently use for colds and flu is eucalyptus and lavender, with a drop or two of tea tree and one drop of peppermint, lemon or sweet orange.

Susan mixes up a special blend that she calls Bliss Blend that contains lavender, clary sage, cedarwood and a drop or two of chamomile, which she finds blissful at the end of a long day. For relaxation, we use lavender, a little chamomile or ylang ylang and a drop or two of cedar or exotic sandalwood.

Soaking the feet is one of herbalists’ best traditions, requiring the soaker to sit still for a time to concentrate on doing something good for the entire body. Reflexology teaches us that the feet contain points that correspond to every organ in the body. Soaking the feet is even good for a headache.

For massage oil, we use a much smaller amount of essential oil because we don’t want to overwhelm the person being massaged. Start with 6 to 10 drops in 2 ounces of carrier oil, cap it and shake it up, and then rub a tiny bit on the back of your hand and sniff to see if you want to add more essential oil. The act of massage is relaxing, and you can use oils to soothe, but you can also make blends that are warming or sensual.

Find out if your recipient has a favorite scent and then use it as the basis of a special blend for them. A very pleasant blend is lavender, sandalwood and one drop of patchouli.

We also like ylang ylang, neroli or jasmine, which are fragrant and sensual, combined with a little clary sage or cedarwood for balance. Go lightly at first: You can always add a few more drops of essential oil.

Foot-soak preparations are decoctions and/or infusions.

A decoction is made by simmering barks and roots for at least 20 minutes to dissolve tannins and other beneficial elements of the plant. To make an infusion, boil water, remove from heat, then add herb leaves, flowers and stems. Strain the finished products and toss the used footsoak herbs into the compost or out in the garden rather than plug up the plumbing.

For a gift basket, these products can be packaged together, along with instructions for use, a luffa gourd, maybe a pumice stone and an organic cotton bath towel.

PAMPER YOUR LOVED ONES These gifts of herbal bath blends will bring peace and comfort to the recipient. Pampering the people who love and care for you throughout the year is a great way to let them know how much you appreciate them. Be sure to make enough for yourself as you nurture your friends and family.

New from the raven and the sparrow publishing co.

Correspondences of the Zodiac An amazing resource for magical workings and anyone who is interested in the Zodiac. It contains information on personalities of each of the Zodiac Sun Signs, plus lots of earthly correspondences that enhance the magical properties of the sign and which magic you should focus on during each of the Zodiac Sun Sign period. Each sign has easy to locate sections on which botanicals, gemstones, and animals bring the most energy, and which magic is most effective during the Sun Sign period.

Available to download on December 16, 2019 42 | Just Breathe Magazine | December 2019

Aloe Vera

by Steven Foster

FOR COUNTLESS Americans, myself included, aloe vera was the first encounter with a medicinal herb. As teenagers in coastal Maine, my friends and I would head for the beach on a warm spring day to start renewing our suntans, and after frying our pallid winter skin, we’d rub aloe gel on each others’ blistered backs.

Aloe gel is perhaps the most widely recognized herbal remedy in the United States today, used to relieve thermal burn and sunburn, promote wound healing, and moisturize and soften skin. Everyone who uses it seems convinced that it works, and its millennia of use for the same conditions support that assumption. In addition, recent research suggests that aloe gel can help stimulate the body’s immune system.

One of the additional beauties of aloe is that it is easy to grow and to use.

Growing aloe vera For a fresh aloe source, your best bet is that plant on the windowsill. Happily, aloe thrives on neglect, but this tropical or subtropical native can not tolerate temperatures much below 40°F. Even a light frost will reduce it to a blackened, oozing mass of dead tissue.

My plants do well in a bright window out of direct sunlight.

The soil should be well-drained and porous—a coarse, sandy potting soil that’s not too rich seems to suit aloe best. Overwatering and poor drainage are the greatest threats to this plant.

If you leave an aloe undisturbed in a slightly oversized pot, it will soon produce suckers that, when they’re a couple of inches tall, can easily be separated from the main plant and replanted. You can also cut off an overlong stalk and simply plant it in a pot. It will root readily. ... continued on page 51 December 2019 | Just Breathe Magazine | 43

44 | Just Breathe Magazine | December 2019

Finding Cures for a Sleep-Sick Nation If you’re among those who think being a little sleepy won’t kill you, consider a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in 2000: Among older people, particularly older women, daytime sleepiness was associated with an increased risk of death from any cause—greater than death from illness, cardiovascular disease, heart attack and congestive heart failure.

by Linda B. White, M.D.

December 2019 | Just Breathe Magazine | 45

Sleep-Sick Nation (continued from page 45) Rather than getting the eight hours of sleep a night that most of us need, Americans on average sleep 6.8 hours on weekdays and 7.4 hours on weekends, according to the National Sleep Foundation’s (NSF’s) 2005 Sleep in America poll. Lack of sleep is so rampant that renowned sleep researcher William C. Dement, M.D., calls it a hidden epidemic and says the United States is a “sleep-sick nation.”

The 2005 poll also found that 75 percent of adults frequently exhibit signs of a sleep problem, such as taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep, excessive daytime sleepiness or having trouble staying asleep.

Compared with the same poll in 1998, skimping on sleep has become more common. Many respondents admitted that sleepiness impaired driving skills and work performance and caused them to stay home from work and other events.

Fatigue also put a wet blanket on sex drive. However, the majority of those surveyed either ignored or downplayed these symptoms.

“People who are chronically sleep deprived can be completely unaware of the root cause of their overwhelming fatigue,” says Dement, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Stanford University and author of The Promise of Sleep (Dell, 2000). This chronic mismanagement of a vital bodily function leads to accidents, illness and premature death. Sleep loss can impair reaction times on par with alcoholic intoxication (at a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent, illegal for driving a motor vehicle). According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Drowsy driving causes more than 100,000 crashes a year, resulting in 40,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths.” Dement says, “Drowsiness is a red alert to get off the road.” He adds that sleep deprivation was a factor in the Exxon Valdez running aground in 1989, spilling 11 million gallons of crude oil.

A night or two of poor sleep will impair concentration and memory, interfere with work and suck the air out of your social life. Mood begins to erode. First come crabbiness, peevishness and difficulty coping with everyday hassles, then a mounting vulnerability to depression. Fending off infections becomes more difficult. Worse, chronic sleep deprivation worsens diabetes and heart disease.

If you’re tired most days, you might have an underlying problem that disturbs your sleep, such as stress-induced insomnia, sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome, among 46 | Just Breathe Magazine | December 2019

other problems. See your doctor to rule out an underlying condition. For most people, daytime fatigue usually derives from burning the midnight oil. Because most doctors don’t think to ask about a patient’s sleep habits, it’s up to you to consider sleep as important as diet and exercise in maintaining your health.

Caffeine Sensitivity and Stress Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others.

Caffeine sensitivity correlates with being prone to stressinduced insomnia. In one experiment, published in Sleep Medicine in 2007, a subgroup of people who had trouble dozing off in the sleep lab (a situational stress) also took longer to go to sleep after a moderate dose of caffeine (3 mg per 2.2 pounds body weight)—about two cups of coffee. People who are sensitive to caffeine are more likely to have trouble falling asleep in times of stress. The authors speculate that some people have a “trait vulnerability to sleep disturbance from a very broad range of challenges to the sleep system.”

Insomnia: A Common Concern Some of us are tired because we don’t leave enough time for shut-eye. One in four, however, have insomnia, defined as difficulty either falling or staying asleep. Nearly one in 10 have difficulty sleeping most nights.

Insomnia is a symptom, not a disease. Factors that increase the odds of poor sleep include shift work, jet travel, stress, anxiety, pain, menopausal hot flashes, an uncomfortable sleep environment, consuming caffeine late in the day or

excessive alcohol at night, and taking medications, such as decongestants, cortisone-type drugs, antidepressants, and drugs to lower blood pressure and relieve asthma.

Stress tops the list. Insomnia caused by a temporary upheaval (new job, romantic breakup, illness) often resolves once you’ve recovered from that setback. A greater threat is the chronic low-grade stress over-scheduled North Americans endure. We work too hard, go to bed too late, toss and turn, and rise too early.

Robert Sapolsky, Ph.D., a Stanford University professor and author of Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers (Owl Books, 2004), explains that not only does stress thwart sleep, but insufficient sleep itself acts as a stressor—it activates the stress response. The stress response elevates two adrenal gland hormones: epinephrine and cortisol. Heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate and many mental activities speed up. Other visceral activities (gastrointestinal and reproductive) slow down.

In one of life’s many ironic twists, the hormonal changes caused by a sleepless night have a nerve-jangling effect, making it difficult to sleep the next night, which activates the stress response, which raises epinephrine and cortisol … it’s a vicious, unhealthy cycle. Chronic stress can lead to immune dysfunction, weight gain, diabetes, osteoporosis, memory problems and mood disorders. Sapolsky acknowledges that chronic activation of the stress response may contribute to the maladies associated with inadequate sleep.

Getting the Hang of Sleep While some people reach immediately for prescription or over-the-counter sleep aids, medications aren’t the only— and probably not the healthiest—way to treat insomnia.

For some people, nondrug treatments can work as well or better. Although such methods take longer to work, the benefits tend to be enduring.

“Know thyself,” Dement likes to tell haggard people. In other words, figure out how you’re sabotaging your sleep.

A standard approach is to improve “sleep hygiene,” learn relaxation skills and adopt positive strategies for late-night sleeplessness. Good sleep hygiene means you allow for a good eight hours of slumber each night, maintain regular sleep and wake times, create a cozy, quiet and dark sleeping environment, and avoid afternoon and evening use of stimulants, such as caffeine, and excessive alcohol at night.

Although many health practitioners discourage vigorous exercise just before bed, regular daily exercise can make

your nights more restful, according to a 1997 Journal of the American Medical Association study. One study from the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that tai chi helped older people who had trouble sleeping. Yoga has helped people with chronic insomnia.

The hardest part of falling asleep can be turning off your busy mind. At first, you can’t sleep because you’re thinking about unfinished tasks from the day, regrettable bits of dialogue and tomorrow’s to-do list. Then you glance nervously at the clock. How did it get to be 1 a.m.? You do the math; no way will you get enough sleep. Maybe you won’t sleep at all. You picture yourself stumbling through the next day, heavy-lidded and dim-witted. Stress hormones rise. Your nerve cells begin to twitch, mutter to themselves, grow five-o’clock shadows.

To avoid this scenario, Dement urges people to shun latenight activities that disturb peace of mind, such as doing homework, paying bills, watching the news and checking e-mail. The worst scenario is doing these things in bed—a place you want to associate only with sleep. If something’s on your mind, write it down, then tell yourself to forget about it overnight.

Whenever you can, occupy your last hours with relaxing activities, such as reading for pleasure. Make bedtime a sensuous ritual. Light a candle, turn out the electric lights, put on soothing music, and step into a warm bath or a hot foot soak.

Try adding 10 to 15 drops of calming essential oils to the tub (see “Warming Winter Baths” on page 41). Focus on the sensation of water lapping your skin, the plant fragrances, the music, the candle’s flickering glow. Pat dry with a towel, and massage oil (apricot, grape seed or almond) into your skin. Cover the clock (and other light sources) and don’t look at it till morning. Lie in a comfortable position and notice your breathing slow down. To unclench your jaw, try parting your lips slightly.

You also can try progressive muscle relaxation, an effective technique used in many non-drug studies on insomniacs.

Lie on your back. Starting with your feet, contract the muscles (really clench them), then relax. Appreciate what relaxation feels like. Next, move up to your calves, thighs, buttocks and so on, right to your face. Another method is to lie still with eyes closed and focus on your breathing, saying to yourself “in” as you inhale and “out” as you exhale. Dement’s own technique is to set the radio on the sleep function (so that it turns itself off in 30 minutes) and let the background chatter distract him from his own thoughts.

December 2019 | Just Breathe Magazine | 47

Sleep-Sick Nation (continued from page 47) If you’re still wide-eyed after a half hour in bed, get up and do something relaxing, such as reading, listening to soothing music (which has proven sleep benefits), gently stretching or massaging yourself with your aromatherapy oil. Do not reach for the liquor cabinet, as alcohol disrupts sleep patterns. Emily Matuszewicz, a chiropractor and the director of Metropolis Center for Holistic Health in Denver, suggests getting out of bed and doing a calming yoga pose.

Her favorite is lying on her back with her buttocks against the wall and her legs straight up the wall.

Herbs to Help You Get Your ZZZs A number of herbs have sedative properties but do not interfere with daytime function—their sedating properties are mild (see exceptions below). Lesley Tierra, an acupuncturist and herbalist in Santa Cruz, California, recommends that people with persistent insomnia take herbs that support the nervous system three times daily, in addition to a dose at bedtime. In general, a dose is a cup of tea, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of tincture or one to two capsules.

Check product labels for more details.

Nerve tonics with subtly sedating effects include chamomile, lavender, skullcap, vervain, wood betony and lemon balm.

Lemon balm gets my award for the tastiest of the sedative herbs. Its minty, lemony taste makes it a fine addition to any brew.

Some herbs are nerve tonics yet have no sedating effects.

One example is oats. Eat oatmeal for breakfast and add oatstraw or oat tops to your tea. Herbalist Rosemary Gladstar writes in Rosemary Gladstar’s Family Herbal (Storey Books, 2001) that oat tops are rich in minerals and “one of the highest terrestrial sources of magnesium.”

(Magnesium is thought to help regulate the internal clock.)

Hawthorn is subtly calming, gentle and suitable for longterm use. It also benefits the cardiovascular system. You can take it in the form of jams and syrups, or as a tea, tincture or capsule. Another herb that supports cardiac function is Motherwort. Many herbalists favor it for menopausal women awakened by heart palpitations.

To Medicate or Not? If non-drug options don’t work for insomnia, medications can be necessary and important, Dement says. Until recently, drug treatment has been hampered by safety concerns. Hypnotic (sleep-inducing) drugs are sedating, and, therefore, depress the nervous system, slowing reaction times and clouding mental functions. Many also carry the risk of addiction. Hence, experts advise limiting their use to two weeks.

But what about people with stubborn, persistent insomnia?

The elderly are particularly vulnerable to insomnia due both to normal age-related changes in sleep cycles and chronic illnesses. Older people often already are on multiple medications, slow to metabolize drugs in general and unsteady physically and mentally. The risk of falls makes many doctors hesitant to prescribe a hypnotic. However, a large 2005 study from the University of Michigan Health System found that sleep-deprived, unmedicated elderly insomniacs were more likely to fall than those able to sleep thanks to hypnotics. Fortunately, some of the newer hypnotics—Sonata, Lunesta and Ambien—appear to be safe to take long-term.

Many sleepless North Americans reach for over-thecounter sleep drugs, which typically contain sedating antihistamines. Experts say that, not unlike alcohol, these drugs aren’t very effective, impair sleep quality and can leave you foggy the next morning.

Lemon balm has a minty, lemony taste

48 | Just Breathe Magazine | December 2019

If anxiety or mild to moderate depression underlies your sleeplessness, St. John’s Wort might be the herb for you.

(For any serious psychological disturbance, make an appointment with a mental health professional. And be aware that St. John’s Wort speeds the liver’s metabolism of many drugs, thereby lowering their blood levels, and thus, their effectiveness.)

According to herbalist David Hoffmann, author of Medical Herbalism (Element, 1996) and other books, the most effective sleep inducers are California poppy, hops, passionflower and valerian. He finds them particularly useful when pain interferes with sleep. I don’t recommend using these four herbs during the daytime.

Valerian is the best-researched hypnotic—or sleep inducing—herb. More than 20 clinical trials show the root extracts hasten sleep onset and improve sleep quality, without side effects. Most studies used valerian alone, but a few also found benefits for valerian plus hops, lemon balm or kava. Valerian also has compared favorably with the prescription drug Serax.

Valerian : The Best-Researched Sleep Herb A 2006 review of 16 studies, published in The American Journal of Medicine, reported that valerian significantly improved sleep and didn’t cause a morning hangover.

However, the authors criticized the methods of many studies, including the use of small numbers of volunteers.

Don’t expect valerian to work instantly. When chronic insomniacs took a single 600-mg dose one hour before bedtime, valerian did not significantly affect objective or subjective measurements of sleep. Fourteen consecutive nights of treatment did improve sleep efficiency, though, according to a 2000 study published in Pharmacopsychiatry. The take-home message: This herb seems better suited to long-term maintenance of sleep.

Valerian’s notoriously musty taste drives most people to down liquid extracts or capsules rather than teas (the herb’s scent has been compared to dirty socks). Thirty minutes to an hour before bedtime, take 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of tincture or 300 to 500 mg of a concentrated extract containing no less than 0.5 percent volatile oils. Warning: Herbalists note that some people are stimulated, rather than relaxed, by valerian.

California poppy has a long tradition as an analgesic and sedative. Laboratory studies show it reduces anxiety and induces sleep. One study found that a French product called Sympathyl, which contains California poppy, hawthorn and magnesium, was safe and more effective than a placebo in treating mild to moderate anxiety disorders.

Hops, a critical ingredient in beer, is mildly sedating. The fluffy strobiles can be put into sleep pillows, along with fragrant lavender. Gladstar, who finds hops’ bitter taste

difficult to disguise, takes the herb as a tincture, often in combination with valerian. Keep the bottle at your bedside. That way, if you awaken in the middle of the night, you can take a couple droppersful.

Sharon Tessier, who teaches aromatherapy and other holistic health classes at Metropolitan State College of Denver, says her favorite remedy for a hectic day is a cup of chamomile tea and a warm bath. “If time does not permit a full body bath, I use a shoulder pillow filled with flaxseeds, heat it in the microwave for two minutes, put it around my neck, and make peace with my day while I drink my tea.”

Smart Choices for Sleepless Nights The mineral magnesium is thought to help regulate the biological clock, but many of us don’t get enough of it.

Matuszewicz notes that changes in agricultural practices have depleted magnesium from our fruits, vegetables and grains. Because higher doses of magnesium can loosen bowels, she suggests you start with 300 mg at bedtime and move up to 400 to 500 mg. In a 2006 study of menopausal women, magnesium in combination with magnolia bark extract reduced sleep disturbances. Magnesium supplements also have been shown to improve sleep among people with periodic limb movements and restless legs syndrome. ... continued on page 50 December 2019 | Just Breathe Magazine | 49

Sleep-Sick Nation (continued from page 49) Because taking a bedtime dose might help reset the biological clock, melatonin can help people who do shift work, travel by jet, are blind or have delayed sleep phase syndrome (habitually going to bed very late). Getting some morning sunshine also helps your body set a normal sleepwake cycle.

The specific dose for melatonin has yet to be clearly defined. Usual recommendations are 0.5 to 3 mg 30 minutes to one hour before bed. While no serious side effects have surfaced, there have been reports of melatonin aggravating depression (with daytime use), stimulating vivid and disturbing dreams and causing grogginess. Most experts discourage its use in children, adolescents, women who wish to become or are pregnant or in people with autoimmune diseases.

50 | Just Breathe Magazine | December 2019

Soothe Yourself with Aromatherapy In addition to drinking chamomile tea, Tessier counters insomnia with plant essential oils. Good candidates include chamomile (Roman and German), bergamot, clary sage, frankincense, lavender, neroli, sweet marjoram, rose and ylang ylang. Neroli tops her list.

“Blended with lavender and bergamot,” Tessier says, “neroli will surely soothe the disconnected body, mind, emotion and spirit.”

Lavender essential oil also has a good track record of alleviating insomnia, a tradition verified by scientific research. A 2006 Korean study of college women found that aromatherapy with essential oil of lavender helped relieve insomnia. Another study found that smelling lavender essential oil helped seniors maintain sleep as they withdrew from benzodiazepines (a group of drugs that includes Serax, Restoril, Valium and Halcion).

If you have time for a warm bath at night, Tessier recommends you add 10 to15 drops of essential oil (half that amount for elderly people and young children) and soak for at least 15 minutes. (Be sure to read our article on “Warming Winter Baths, page 39) Inhale the wonderful aromas. Those volatile oils absorb across your respiratory linings as well as across your skin. Note: Tessier cautions that these potent plant medicines not be taken internally and be kept out of children’s reach.

Magical Massage

Aloe vera (continued from page 43) The leaves can be cut with a sharp knife at the base of the plant, wrapped in cellophane, and stored for a week or two at 50° to 70°F (the refrigerator is too cold). Better yet, use the leaves fresh.

Aloe is commercially produced in the Rio Grande Valley of southern Texas, Florida, Mexico, and some of the Caribbean islands, where it has the sandy, chalky soil, good sunshine, and freedom from frost.

Ashley Dew has personal experience with using massage for insomnia. When stress-induced insomnia shadowed Dew’s college life, her mother gave her a gift certificate for a massage. That night, Dew slept like the proverbial baby.

She left Savannah, Georgia, for the Boulder College of Massage Therapy. A side benefit of being a student afforded her twice weekly massages, which cured her insomnia and anxiety. Now a certified massage therapist at Metropolis Center for Holistic Health in Denver, Dew gets one or two massages a month to stay healthy.

More on aloe as medicine

If you can’t afford regular massages, consider swapping with a friend. And you always can massage yourself.

Focus on your hands, feet, temples, jaw, shoulders, neck and other reachable tight muscles. The ideal is to have a massage right before bedtime—a treat a generous loved one might provide.

Two products in current use are derived from aloe leaves.

The clear gel that forms naturally in the hollow interior of the leaf is the familiar product used to relieve burns and wounds, whereas specialized resin canal cells in the thick leaf epidermis produce a bitter yellow juice that is

In the mid-1930s, researchers enthusiastically reported aloe’s quick and complete healing of skin burns caused by X rays and ultraviolet and gamma rays. The public became aware of their findings in Gertrude B. Foster’s classic, Herbs for Every Garden (Dutton, 1966). Foster also noted that aloe was grown as a landscape plant in the tropics and as a houseplant in temperate climates. Although commercial development of aloe vera was already under way, its popularity exploded in the 1970s.

... continued on page 52

Consider making a nighttime massage oil spiked with the aforementioned calming essential oils. Tessier recommends 15 drops of essential oil per one fluid ounce of carrier oil or 2 to 3 drops per teaspoon of carrier. Halve the dilution for elderly people. For small children, use one-third the amount of the adult formula.

Sleep: A Precious Elixir Guard your sleep. Think of it as a precious elixir for health and longevity. Try to eradicate any underlying sleep thieves.

Consider the long menu of possible remedies. Clean up your behaviors, try herbs and, if needed, try a medication.

Do whatever works.

Now, get some sleep!

December 2019 | Just Breathe Magazine | 51

Aloe Vera (continued from page 51) the source of the laxative drug aloe. Although they share certain components, these two products are distinctly different and should not be confused.

Aloe gel Among some of the recent findings: • Researchers at Tokyo Women’s Medical College in Japan have shown that certain lectins (a type of protein) in aloe gel may stimulate the immune system to increase production of killer cells, or naturally occurring lymphocytes that kill bacteria and tumor cells.

• Studies in Japan and the Netherlands suggest that constituents in aloe gel can enhance the workings of the immune system by containing the killer cells’ lethal chemicals, preventing them from damaging healthy, functional cells.

• A research group at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio is studying the effects of aloe extracts on normal and tumor cells in humans.

• A review of the medical literature by a group at the University of Texas in Galveston concluded that aloe gel clearly promotes wound healing and prevents progressive skin damage caused by burns and frostbite. It works by penetrating injured tissue, relieving pain, reducing inflammation, and dilating capillaries to increase blood flow to the injury.

Aloe as laxative As in ancient times, drug aloe (prepared from the bitter yellow juice of the leaf) and its derivatives are used extensively today as active ingredients in commercial laxative preparations, most often in combination with other botanical laxatives such as cascara sagrada bark and senna leaves or pods.

Despite their widespread use in commercial preparations, drug aloe and aloin are considered the least desirable of plant laxatives for home health care.

Besides being extremely bitter, they produce cramping and irritation in the digestive tract. Overdose or other misuse can cause abdominal pain, gastrointestinal bleeding, or even kidney disorders. Pregnant or nursing women should 52 | Just Breathe Magazine | December 2019

not take products containing drug aloe or aloin because they stimulate the uterus (which can bring on premature labor) and because they pass readily into the mother’s milk, sometimes causing gastrointestinal distress in the nursing infant.

Using aloe In his book Natural Health, Natu­ral Medicine (Houghton Mifflin, 1990), Andrew Weil suggests that fresh aloe gel applied directly to the skin provides immediate relief for burns and general skin irritation or inflammation, and he cautions that commercial products which boast of their aloe content may not contain sufficient amounts to be effective.

The gel is prepared commercially by many methods, some of them patented or proprietary processes. Most involve pressing, but some entail solvent extraction; according to Albert Leung, a natural products chemist, properties of commercial gel products produced by solvent extraction vary greatly and generally are not the same as aloe gel squeezed from a fresh aloe leaf. ­ lthough commercial liquid concentrates are usually A genuine, Leung ­suggests that the higher the concentration of aloe, the more degradation it has undergone. He also warns that ­despite claims that solid products are concentrates of pure aloe gel, most contain large proportions of fillers such as acacia gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, lactose, and hydrolyzed starch.

Product quality varies greatly from brand to brand. Read the label. Ingredient lists are arranged in descending order according to quan­tity. If aloe is listed in the middle or last, or if the product contains large amounts of the fillers listed above, you have reason to suspect that the product is not of high quality.

Despite label claims of purity, Leung points out that the juice may contain only a very small percentage of aloe vera gel. Dr. Weil cautions that ingesting too much aloe juice can act as an irritant laxative. He suggests taking no more than one teaspoonful at a time, and only after meals.

Grow and heal Few plants can claim a 4,000-year history of use for essentially the same purposes, and few are as easy to grow and use as aloe. If you are like most people, you take the plant for granted, but it’s common knowledge that if you take care of your aloe plant, it will help take care of you.

Saving Face (continued from page 27) petals were recognized for their value in softening skin; today we know that they are astringent, antiseptic, antiinflammatory, and antifungal.

My great-grandmother believed that a salve of camphor and eucalyptus cured almost any skin eruption. My father swears by a concoction of camphor, menthol, lanolin, and tallow for treating chapped lips and hands. I continue to be awed by the ability of herbs to help the body heal and repair itself and to help maintain a beautiful, healthy complexion.

Please be aware that “herbal” and “natural” are not synonymous with “harmless”. The properties of herbs that make them effective can also cause allergic reactions in some individuals. Always test any new formula on the inner fold of your elbow before using it on your entire face. Check your skin after twenty-four hours and don’t use the formula if redness, swelling, or itching is present.

Basic Skin Care Any prescription for healthy skin starts with drinking eight glasses of water daily, either plain or carbonated water or non-caffeinated herbal tea. When you apply a topical

moisturizer to the skin, it penetrates only the top layers, not the germinative layer underneath where new skin is produced; drinking abundant liquids helps to keep the skin sufficiently hydrated from within as well. It can take up to three weeks to feel the benefits of consuming this much water regularly, but rest assured that it will make a difference.

Humidifying your house—by using a humidifier or simmering potpourris, for example—can help keep your skin moisturized. The sun is one of the worst skin agers; even in winter, hats and sunscreen are needed to protect your skin while you are outdoors.

A good basic daily skin care routine is equally important to maintaining a healthy complexion. Here’s the one that I recommend: In the morning, cleanse your face, then apply a natural toner to restore the acid balance of the skin. Skin normally has a pH of 4.5 to 5.5, but soaps and other cleansers tend to be alkaline. Then moisturize your skin, preferably with a product that lists both water and oil among its ingredients.

Finally, protect your face with a makeup foundation or sunscreen (if you’re going outdoors).

In the evening, cleanse your skin again, apply a toner, then protect your skin with lanolin, or, if your skin is very dry, pure olive, sesame, or sunflower oil applied to a wet face. Using a cream moisturizer in the evening may cause your eyes to be puffy in the morning.

Use an occasional mask treatment to leave your skin feeling wonderful. Choose mask formulas that are appropriate to your skin type, and use them only as often as recommended.

Drinking abundant liquids helps to keep the skin sufficiently hydrated from within

December 2019 | Just Breathe Magazine | 53

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The Paleo Diet explained Hair Loss in Women (and what could be the cause) Nature Sounds - Can they heal us?

More on herbal teas Update on our Red Tea Detox program and lots more!

Available to download January 2, 2020 Until then.....

54 | Just Breathe Magazine | December 2019