School of Inquiry

Today in the carpool line I was blindsided by the principal. “May 12 is dress for success day and your children have told us they don’t have one or the other dress pants or shirts to wear and if you need any assistance with that…”
“May 12?” all I can think is where is my calendar- I’ll never remember this. Preschool yoga planning in my head on temporary hold. “No, I can get them some it’s just…” from the backseat “noooo! I don’t wanna wear it!” “just that, mostly. I can get them some.”

I drive away, green hand sanitizing and handing out snacks and reminders about behavior during the preschool yoga class I’m about to teach. So I forget about it until I’m folding laundry and come across the only pair of dress pants my children own, bought last week for a chorus part in a school play.

What is success?
Isn’t a successful six year old running around getting dirty or at least a little sweaty? In fact, wouldn’t we all be a bit more “successful” if we moved our bodies more and worried less about getting our clothes dirty? I know quite a few of my patients and I would be better off. But back to it. Success? Is it financial? Most really wealthy people I know don’t wear dress clothes because they don’t have to impress anyone.
I do agree that you can dress a part and therefore get more in character, but what character wears a dress shirt and pants? Usually one who has very little autonomy in the world or one going for an interview or… are they at least teaching interview skills to my 6 and 9 year old boys? Turns out I graduated from high school with null financial skills- how ’bout I a book on that instead? I know at least one already knows how to freak out about standardized testing after being drilled on it in…art class? Yep, and in gym too- ok, I know it’s called PE.
So I was not quick enough on my feet to say to this kindly principal that in the end I think a lot of the stuff that I have to do to make my kids fit into this mediocre mold is b.s..

Have I told the one about how they aren’t allowed to bring glass bowls to school because of safety issues? But apparently plastic water bottles should be donated for test taking time because chemicals from plastic are not as bad a safety issue- they only disrupt the whole hormonal and endocrine system, they’d never draw blood.
Maybe I’ll talk about that later- how we (as a society) pick the lowest common denominator and strive towards making it work.

Why shouldn’t children learn to handle glass properly? Not that I was sending anything flimsy that would break by falling, yes, even on tile- believe me we’ve tried it at home. I’m not into putting anyone’s children at risk, I just really think we’ve maintained a system to dumb down the best of us.

I hear a lot about the obesity epidemic, then in schools, mind you some of the best schools in the country- we don’t have a day for gym clothes, we can’t run on the playground, we eat more salt and fat than at fast food chains and offer fast food coupons as rewards for standardized exams (read:sitting on your bum for 4 days).

I teach children’s yoga because at least half of what I see going on in my treatment space could have been avoided altogether or healed by simple breathing, stretching and learning to listen. To our own wise bodies, not to what someone else says is good, right, successful or even healthy. Because taking time to stop and smell the roses is more important to our being well, and thus deep satisfaction with being able to do what we love, love what we do and prosper from that place of knowing ourselves as successful. Our outward appearance radiates that, our way of being in the world a testament to our success. Others knowing themselves as successful in our presence.
That, to me is dressed for success.

Flu review- things to think, ingest and do!

Viruses enter the nose and throat before traveling into the body- keeping the viral population in your nose and throat down can prevent you from getting sick (possibly even while conferring some immunity as you are exposed), since it’s nearly impossible (and impractical) to avoid all germs.  there are also lots of fabulous natural things one can do to help build what the chinese call “wei qi” or “defensive qi” which protects us from pathogens.

THINGS TO DO:

1. more sleep, less sugar- the immune system can be compromised by too little sleep or too much sugar very quickly

2. gargle with salt water or mouthwash 2x a day. (in response to this someone in my email said their grandma swore Listerine prevented her from getting the 1918 Spanish flu while she was caring for the ill.)

3. use a neti pot with salt water or if you can’t handle that at least blow your nose well and then swab inside with salt water.

4. drink warm beverages to wash germs into the stomach where the acidic environment kills them.

5. dry brush your skin with a loofah or body brush in a circular motion towards your heart.  this not only improves lymph circulation but also invigorates the wei qi.

6. finish your shower with cold water- this may seem crazy, but it causes the wei qi to come right to the surface of the body (and usually also elicits a few deep breaths of otherwise steamy air which is also good for the lungs)

7. tap the center of the chest between the nipples 50x morning and evening to stimulate the thymus

8. joy! laughing and loving are still good medicine- i’m loathe to say reducing stress, because i think fun should be for the sake of itself, but if for the sake of health i can get you to have some fun, so be it.

THINGS TO INGEST

1. acidophilus- much of our immunity is in our gut, and most of us can benefit from a better flora arrangement

2. astragalus is an astringent and adaptogenic herb, one that i have taken for years through the winters, starting in part to help me keep a stable energy when my babies kept me up all night, and has had the pleasant side effect of helping me not catch every which child-borne illness : )

3. get some extra vitamin D- via sunshine or supplement

4. oscillococcinum one dose weekly or biweekly

5. elderberry juice

6. raw honey with propolis and pollen (not for babies under 1 year old)

7. eat garlic onions and spicy foods

8. extra vitamin c

if you get sick, please see “winter cheat” post for remedies.

all of the above are things i’ve used both for myself and my children and while nursing (if you have a nursing baby they will get your immunities, so best to get a little sick yourself then boost your own immune system and nurse constantly)

THINGS TO THINK

1. flu viruses live between 8-12 hours on surfaces (this keeps me from cleaning too wildly)

2. you’re probably gonna come in contact with it, so you might as well try keeping the population down in your system rather than figuring out how to eradicate every external germ.  the upswing of this is that i believe it confers some immunity on you once you’re exposed.

3. I am healthy and strong! My children are healthy and strong! My patients are healthy and strong!

The absurdity of politics in all our families’ business

The unwritten rules of being the child of leaders of a newish school. Apparently not ok to say in my professional bio that I’m the daughter of Tai Sophia’s founders.

Which is kind of funny because well, it is who I am. I grew up at Tai Sophia (it was TAI back then, but anyhoo). Being that my parents are the founders (also known as Bob and Dianne) dinners at home were also Tai Sophia. When I was eightish and the School of Philosophy and Healing in Action was being birthed it was in my kitchen, in my mouth, my mother teaching me to make direct requests and how to accept, decline or counteroffer. When I was ill it was acupuncture before pills doctors or anything else.
When my oldest son was sick and I a scared mom with a febrile infant ready to go to the E.R. it was Simon, founder of the Master of Herbal medicine program at Tai Sophia who picked some ground cover ivy that I dried and made into tea for him.
When I presented my first patient to the class many students affectionately call “Bobservation” I decided to tell the audience that Bob was my dad- why would I put the pink elephant on display when what I really wanted to get to was “can you help me help my patient?”

Theoretically I understand that maybe people will get that from my last name (which is in fact one of the many reasons besides laziness and continuity and feminism that I haven’t decided to change my name yet.)  Then again, my sister in law, who also works with us is also a Connelly-Duggan with a very different history.  And so if I change my name to Fountain, which in solidarity with my husband I’d like to do I then start as though acupuncture is not already a part of me?  Do I say then, that I’ve only been practicing since I began my formal training in school, which has way more to do in the end with licensing and regulations and degrees than with what it is I actually practice?

Again this weekend I was privileged to attend a conference called “Building Bridges.”  It was Qigong and herbs and acupuncture, and really moreover about how and who we are as humans and how we keep making ourselves up as free and new as babies.  Babies don’t give a good gosh darn about calling for their parents or using their entire bodies to yawn.  And so here I am, mother daughter, colleague and wife, grateful that I “tagged along” to that conference with my parents and that just maybe out of that I formed a connection that will help all of our children in schools recover their own well of being.

The Uninsured

I originally wrote this in response to a group of acupuncturists requesting I write a letter to the Obama administration requesting insurance coverage for acupuncturists.  I think “insurance” is a very misleading term, because it’s not at all what our health care dollars actually do.

Tricky ground here, and…

As an acupuncturist I don’t want to be covered by insurance.  I want my clients to have a direct investment in their own well-being. I do have insurance for myself, but it doesn’t cover my acupuncture. nor my doctor for that matter- it really will only cover anything past my ridiculously high deductible. So I pay $90 a month, and for any visit to a professional.  Which helps me to really want to learn how to be well and gives me an incentive to stay well.
There is money already in the system, better spent by companies and government to hire us (well care professionals) to teach humans to be well, to get people into the conversation… but not to “cover us” so they can come to us instead of their other doctor… so they can come to us to remind them- your body, your backache, your headache is very wise…Let your symptoms be guides to well living and not disguised by meds until you end up in the E.R. for not heeding the warning signs.

I am concerned that “acupuncture” may not have any benefits if it is only to replace other modalities without addressing the underlying construct.
“We can no longer abuse our bodies (minds/souls) and then take them in to be fixed”

Has anyone read the first chapter of Outliers?
There is a town where the reduced heart disease is based in the community itself, not the food or wine or genetics- nor doctors.

I never can keep my two cents in my pocket…
love, partnership and reflection,
Jade

Well Child practices- safe to use on grownups too.

A few simple practices, when actually practiced, can make the difference between ritalin, claritin and, well, you.  If you think I’m lying just try it (for at least a couple of weeks- this isn’t a pop-a-pill 1 minute solution, this is a savor your lifesaver practice) and see… About 30% of conditions (generally I treat people, as there aren’t points on conditions, but for the sake of fluidity…) I treat with acupuncture could be alleviated with just these two things.

Breathe. Slowly. Deeply- really deeply- imagine into your toes, allowing your lower belly to raise while counting to four slowly. For children this can be very tricky. It is helpful to put your hand low on their belly, or challenge them to slowly raise a balancing ruler across their hips using only their breath. Let the exhale be longer than the inhale- count for them to eight.

Sleep.  It might seem impossible, but children often need 10- 12 hours of sleep (you’ve seen how busy they are all day, right?).  Don’t be fooled- I’ve heard so many parents say “Oh, he won’t go to bed until 10 o’clock.”  This may sound harsh, but not only is that child not getting enough sleep, he’s also doing your job.  There are lots of good books out there about getting children to go to sleep.  The most important rule is consistency.  Children thrive with routine, not the least of which is bedtime.  The other nice thing about bedtime is the more consistent it is, the easier it gets.  My children are in bed at 7:30, even my 8 year old.  That means he is totally refreshed by 7 am and helps out with the little ones when I’ve stayed up until midnight.

Girlie Stuff

If you don’t have female parts, you might want to stop reading. Not because there is some interesting tidbit about you, just because you may find out some things you might rather never learn about.

Ok, that over I’ll get right to it. I had recurring yeast infections since my second pregnancy. And I have tried every natural remedy, so here are the best (ok, cleaning up your diet is huge)– in the meantime so you can go out in public without scratching:
Garlic, apple cider vinegar, yogurt and when all else fails a suppository of boric acid (Warning: Never Ingest Boric Acid- for suppository use only!).

If you are at the point of considering antibiotics, please reconsider and instead try some of the remedies below and begin including raw sauerkraut, pickles, or a tablespoon of raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar at each meal. Better yet get or make yourself some kombucha (I like GT Dave’s because there’s virtually no sugar, even though it’s expensive or ask a health nut friend). I find that if I begin to get any early warning signs now I can drink a bottle of kombucha and knock it right back into balance.

All of this is, however, assuming you’re not also downing a pint of Haagen- Dazs nightly (which I love to do and am much more conscientious about since realizing the horrific aftereffects- and I don’t even mean cellulite . Basically if you have a tendency to be yeasty you could well have a dairy or wheat sensitivity, or vice versa, you could be sensitive due to the yeast imbalance- I can actually handle some ice cream when my flora’s not all whacked out. So at least for rebalancing you’ll need to cut out (ok, realistically cut down, as the misery and stress of cutting out all sugars and flours is probably worse for you than a little sugar) sugars and refined flours and maybe even dairy. Take a probiotic supplement if the kombucha/ sauerkraut isn’t happening- you can actually take significantly more than the recommended dosage, which it generally for maintenance, not therapy.  A little raw honey in your tea is fine, and goat’s milk cheese is less “dampening” than cow milk (but tastes pretty gamey, so no go on the goat milk in my coffee).

Garlic-
This one you can eat liberally or take capsules of, and use as a vaginal suppository, changing every few hours or at least twice a day. You may want to put a piece of thread through it to make removal um, easier. Some people say that nicking the clove can cause a burning sensation if you are already irritated, but I’ve found that nicking it releases the effective oils, thus relieving symptoms quickly. Be forewarned, though- you will realize the interconnectedness of things as you may be able to taste the garlic even when using as a suppository.

Apple cider vinegar-
I’m sure this is what our grandmas knew. The acidity of the vinegar kills the yeast while good raw vinegar has beneficial bacteria to begin repopluating. Try mixing it 1/8 with water as a rinse, maybe even scooping out the excess yeast. If you believe in douching you can use it that way too.

Yogurt-
Plain Please! I cannot vouch for the results of flavors, but assume the sugars (which feed yeast) would cause big trouble. Apply it topically (you can put a little internally too if you want) for instant soothing relief- you can even add some powdered acidophilus (or break open a capsule) to boost the effectiveness. Along the same lines, once you have killed the yeast with any of the other remedies you can use an acidophilus capsule suppository to give the beneficial repopulation a “leg up,” so to speak.

Boric Acid capsules-
This one is a little more work, but when your yeast is as stubborn as mine was during pregnancy (and as insistent as I was not to use lord-knows-what’s in that drug) it is miraculous. There are more complicated versions, but a very basic one is to get some empty “00″ size capsules and a bottle of boric acid from your pharmacy and fill them up (please don’t do this around small children and clean up after yourself). Then insert one vaginally nightly for 5 nights. Wear at least a pantyliner as it seems to liquefy the yeast or something.  This supposedly works for gardinerella (the fishy smelling protozoa) too.

Last, but certainly not least- now that I have it in a better balance I’ve become aware that when I feel frustrated with my husband I begin to literally itch within 24 hours if I don’t deal with it. Sometimes meditation helps, and sometimes I have to ask for what I need.

I know I’m not the only one who “tried everything,” so I figure I’d share my stubbornly natural information with you. Surprisingly, I have at least this much information on a variety of other topics too… to be shared at a later date, or upon request.
Peace Y’all

Crazy People make Mice Crazy Too!

I just found this on the internet, and feel compelled to repost it! Wow!

Processed and GE Foods Freak Out Mice

Schools in Wisconsin are showing kids the dangers of genetically engineered (GE) and processed junk food with some unique science class experiments. Sister Luigi Frigo repeats the experiment every year in her second grade class in Cudahy, Wisconsin. Students feed one group of mice unprocessed whole foods. A second group of mice are given the same junk foods served at most schools. Within a couple of days, the behavior of the second group of mice develop erratic sleeping schedules and become lazy, nervous and even violent. It takes the mice about three weeks on unprocessed foods to return to normal. According to Frigo, the second graders tried to do the experiment again a few months later with the same mice, but the animals had learned their lesson. They refused to eat the GE food!

(from Comanche County Chronicle, Elgin, OK, September, 2008 www.comanchecountychronicle.com)

Reduce Plastic and Recycle Easy

I bought two stainless steel travel jars for my kids to the tune of say $12 apiece. Within 2 days the little rubber piece (in the plastic top) had gone missing, which made it a spilly cup more than a sippy cup.
To reduce my plastic usage we save glass jars-  wash them in the dishwasher and they make space- saving food storage that we put in our lunchbox (and remind children not to throw the lunchbags…).   I save everything from pesto jars for juice glasses and kid cups to pasta sauce jars for big enough water cups that I can take to work for an iced latte or herbal tea.  The jars are actually much sturdier than our store bought glasses were (before we broke them one by one.)

One of my favorites is buying juice in concentrate form- at our local natural market we get elderberry (don’t get me started on the benefits…), cranberry, black cherry, pomegranate, etc. in syrup form.  I don’t even mix up big gallons- I put it in the fridge as is, where it saves fridge real estate and I can vary the intensity for different household palates.  I just splash a bit in when water just won’t do and- presto! colorful juice I can control the sugar content of!  When the concentrate is all gone… the bottles are the perfect size for lunch drinks.  (If you are sending another glass container be sure to wrap your reusable cloth napkin around one or the other to prevent breakage).  

For sandwiches we mostly use wax or butcher paper sealed with a little masking tape- while not necessarily the most ecological it’s still a convenient and less plasticky choice.  You can reuse the waxed paper (depending on the sandwich,) and if your children are like mine, they can color on the butcher paper later.  

The best part is you can write your love note right on their food!

Beauty Products in Your Pantry

Essentially I got into making my own natural beauty care products by accident. When I say “make” that’s actually not true- with three children I don’t have time for mixing up potions very much, so I keep it simple.  Years ago, in a natural health market I was about to buy a $30 facial scrub. Luckily I looked at the ingredients, of which there were two- cornmeal and myrrh powder. Four ounces of cornmeal and myrrh…

Given the extensive claims on the packaging, I instead bought the two ingredients for $5, and made enough to last years, with leftover to make cornbread.  Myrrh powder as it turns out is medicinal, historically used for mouth cleansers to heal and kill bacteria (those wise men were bearing fresh breath.)  Corn meal, finely ground makes a gentle scrubbing abrasive.  If you read beauty labels all the high-end stuff is touting things that you already buy to ingest- green tea, vitamin c, fruit acids…

A whole lot cheaper is to open your fridge and rub a strawberry on your face.

I know that sounds kind of crazy, and you’ll have to be careful your kids aren’t looking, ’cause there will be strawberry mashed all over your house, but it works.  Go to a luxury organic spa and guess what they’re using?  Your guacamole, (ok, just the avocado) milk, honey and fruits.  From an Ayurvedic perspective milk has cooling properties, soothing inflammation and dryness.  Avocado has a somewhat similar benefit with more moisturizing emollient properties.  

For a really simple pick- my face up, pour a cup of your favorite herbal tea, while steeping rub your fruit on your face, hold the cup near your face to let the steam into your pores, and when it’s done steeping use the teabag to wipe off the residue.

Here are some of your common ingredients filled with natural goodness, not to mention buzzworthy scientific things like antioxidants, enzymes, amino acids and proteins:

Cucumber is clarifying and soothing for combination skin, strawberries for oily skin and avocado for dry.  Licorice is the major natural ingredient in non-hydroquinone lighteners and pigmentation reduction- it’s used to reduce redness and inflammation and also has antiviral properties. So when I make my kids a cup of tea I rub the teabag on my face. Chamomile I use similarly- it helps with irritation and sensitivity. Raw honey is also used for pretty much anything as it is a powerful natural antibiotic and also has tons of enzymes- it has been used for eons as a moisturizer and wound healer- it’s a little sticky, but when mixed with a lotion or used diluted it’s not nearly as sticky a you’d think.  Coconut oil is used on our hair (if you have finer hair you can use it as a deep conditioner, then wash it out)  and our bodies- it is antifungal and it smells like an island vacation too.

Peace in the Kingdom

I received a text the other night, and felt quite shaken. How could I feel so upset over a few little words? I couldn’t eat. I wrote four or five responses, explaining in detail that I meant only goodwill.  She was clearly upset. We had been friends for a long time and had a falling out a few months back (actually I had it out with her husband).  She hasn’t spoken to me since, though occasionally our children play together via daddy. I have left many messages letting her know that we were thinking of her and that my son would really like to play with her son.  

I was in a conundrum: do I allow my children to play at a house where the grownups wouldn’t speak to me?

She never answered or returned any calls. I asked daddy to find out if she was ever going to speak to me for the sake of our children. She texted me an answer of kinds. I responded simply that I loved her and wished her fulfillment. She apparently couldn’t believe that was true and texted back to that effect. I replied simply “I am hopeful for peace in the kingdom, and I am aware that it begins with me.”
On the heels of an historic inauguration of a thoughtful leader who reminded me that we are the change.