Can you be healed with gemstones? Crystal therapy is a form of vibrational medicine in which crystals are used to promote and restore a harmonious balance to the body through its bio-energetic or subtle energy fields. It can have positive effects on all levels of our health — physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

Crystal therapy helps to activate the body’s own self-healing properties. With the assistance of the patient and the therapist, the crystals support and magnify the self-healing process. About 85 percent of the earth is made of crystals, which are essentially silicon and oxygen. Quartz crystals have the ability to produce an electric field when they are put under pressure.

Interestingly, early radios were called crystal sets were designed with crystals as the receivers and required no battery or electrical power source to operate.

Apatite crystals are found in our bones and teeth making us crystalline in nature. Therefore, it could be that there is a recognition and resonance between inorganic earth crystals and the organic ”bio” crystal of the human body making our bodies receptive to the healing properties of crystals.

Crystal therapy may not yet be as widely recognized as aromatherapy or homeopathy but it is becoming more widely accepted. It has attracted the attention of the medical community which suggests that there is a desire for a more spiritual and holistic approach to healing the human body. Crystal therapy is definitely suitable for this purpose.

Some adaptations may need to be made for anyone with high blood pressure, epilepsy or anyone with a pacemaker. Pregnant women and very young children may be sensitive to crystals.

During a crystal therapy session you will either sit or lie down and you will remain fully clothed. You will need to remove your watch and other jewelry. You may be given a crystal to hold in each hand while the therapist places crystals on or around your body. They may be placed in a particular pattern or merely placed at intervals around you. The crystals may remain in place throughout the session or may be remove after a short time.

The crystals may feel heavy or cold at first, however, after a few minutes you should be comfortable with them. They may feel as if they have dissolved or they may become warm and comforting. If you should at any time feel discomfort or pain during the session, be sure to inform your therapist.

Most people regard crystal therapy as a pleasant and relaxing experience. After the session the therapist may give you a crystal to take with you with instructions on how you can continue your crystal therapy at home.

It is usually recommended to space your sessions at least a week apart to give sufficient time for the effects of the treatment to unfold. If after about the third session you feel you are not making any progress, you may need to seek another therapist or you may decide that crystal therapy is not the best option for you at this time.

Because UTIs are a universal health problem and since antibiotic resistance is increasing at an uncontrolled rate, vaccines are currently being developed to treat this infection. The clinical trial of the first vaccine, SolcoUrovac, has shown promise in women with recurrent UTIs.

However, more long term follow up is required to document any side effects or complications. Unlike vaccines in children, this vaccine is administered as a vaginal suppository. Other research is being conducted on potential vaccines that can prevent the attachment of the bacteria to the lining of the bladder.

Maintaining good hygiene goes a long way in the prevention of UTIs. The following are some suggestions for decreasing UTIs:

• Always wipe from front to back after urinating.
• Cleanse the genital and urinary areas from front to back with soap and water after each bowel movement.
• Rinse the genital area with water regularly throughout the day.
• Avoid wearing tight clothes since they cause friction in the genitals and move bacteria into the urinary area.
• Showers instead of baths are recommended for individuals with recurrent UTIs.
• Urinate frequently, especially as soon as the urge arises.
• Drink a lot of fluid to flush the bacteria out.
• All sanitary products should be changed after each urination.
• Maintain good hygiene before and after intercourse.
• Urinate before and after intercourse.
• The use of condoms has been associated with a decrease in UTIs.
• Avoid sex with multiple partners — this is not only a high risk factor for UTIs but also sexually transmitted diseases.
• For those with recurrent UTIs, daily supplements of vitamin C and cranberry juice may be helpful.

Dietary Recommendations to Treat UTIs

In all individuals who have high blood sugar such as diabetics, the frequency of UTIs is much higher. High sugar levels in the body are known to interfere with the immune system and thus lead to a proliferation of bacteria. Therefore, control of blood sugar is essential in the treatment and prevention of UTIs.

Other chemicals also known to depress the immune system include excessive alcohol and saturated fat. Like blood sugar, alcohol intake, chocolate, eggs, oranges, carbonated beverages, meat products and red wine should be curtailed and the amount of fat eaten decreased to prevent recurrent UTIs.

To flush the bladder of the infectious bacteria, all females with a UTI are encouraged to drink fluids and empty the bladder frequently. However, coffee and alcohol should be avoided as they seem to worsen the symptoms of a UTI. To increase acidity of the urine and decrease the growth of bacteria, one should eat more vegetables.

Spinach, potatoes, green beans, avocado, onion, grapes, broccoli, zucchini, yams and mustard greens are all recommended. Vegetables, overall, are good for health and also help to control the level of blood sugars.

For more than 2 decades it has been known that cranberry can prevent UTIs. Studies have shown that cranberry in the form of a liquid or as a supplement pill, are equally effective in decreasing the frequency of UTIs. Cranberry juice works by preventing the attachment of E coli (this is the most common bacteria known to cause UTIs) to the bladder and urethral wall.

Cranberry juice however, is not effective once an infection has already occurred, since the bacteria are already attached to the bladder wall. Thus most doctors do not recommend cranberry juice for acute attacks; it is only recommended to prevent future/recurrent infections. Cranberry juice must be ingested daily either as liquid or a tablet to work effectively.

The chakras are said to be life force energy centers. There are seven main energy centers lined up from the top of your head to your tailbone. The root chakra, located at your tailbone, is actually the first chakra. The crown chakra, at the top of your head is the seventh chakra.

Many people have started working with the chakras and felt an opening up and encountered good results. Others have tried and not felt anything. Do this mean that it only works for some people? It could be that the people who actually get results are the ones who need it. If your chakras are all “spinning” the way they should be, you may not notice any significant difference.

However, if you are having problems in certain areas of your life that you can’t seem to overcome, it may be that the chakra related to that specific problem is closed or sluggish. For example, if you have trouble speaking your mind or disagreeing with others and just go with their flow instead of your own, your throat chakra may be weak, closed or sluggish. If you lack self-esteem, this could be the result of your sacral chakra needing some work.

When these energy centers are working or spinning in harmony, they are considered balanced. When they are not in harmony they can cause problems. However, they aren’t really sick as you might think when you hear the phrase chakra healing. They don’t need healing in the traditional sense of the word, they need to be opened up and balanced.

How can you heal or open the chakras?

There are several things you can use to help open your chakras. Yoga, sound therapy and meditation are the most popular ways. But there’s also color therapy, affirmations, visualizations, crystals and gemstones and conscious breathing.

Some people have been able to open and balance their chakras just by meditating and thinking about them spinning correctly. Others have had to use several healing methods to achieve any results.

Yoga is a good overall healthy method for not only staying fit, but it has beneficial affects on the mind and can help with your meditation practice as well. The majority of yoga poses actually stress or stretch areas of your body. This can help stimulate the chakras if you choose poses that work on specific areas of your body.

Sound therapy is another method of stimulating and opening the chakras. Tibetan singing bowls are very popular for this. However, these singing bowls use different frequencies and some can be annoying. The ones that don’t resonate with you are probably related to the chakras that are already open and spinning properly. You’ll need to work with different sounds to discover which ones you need to work on.

Meditation is another great method used in chakra healing. If you know which chakras you need to work on, you can simply meditate on those specific areas and visualize them spinning.

If you think this is something you’d like to work on, be sure to try different methods of healing. What works and resonates with one person may not work for you. Keep experimenting until you find something you enjoy and leaves you feeling energized.

Now that the time has changed and there is less daylight, you may notice you’re feeling blue. The great majority of people experience some seasonal changes in feelings and behavior such as energy, sleep, eating patterns, and mood. At the very end of the spectrum are people with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)—severe symptoms that produce significant problems in their lives.

Those short days and long nights may trigger feelings of not only depression and fatigue, but also lethargy and other health problems. While you may be tempted to ignore these feelings, there are times, if they are severe enough to disrupt your daily activities, that you really shouldn’t.

You may be one of the 10 million Americans who suffer with seasonal affective disorder – appropriately known by its initials SAD. It’s a type of depression and if left untreated can seriously disrupt your daily life. However, there are simple remedies that can lessen the symptoms.

Technically, SAD is actually a subtype of a major depressive episode. The classic symptoms of depression include a decreased appetite, problems sleeping, a poor appetite and a corresponding loss in weight. Recognized in the DSM-IV, The American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic manual, SAD affects more women than men.

About 70 to 80 percent of those affected with seasonal affected disorder are women. Most people first develop this depression when they’re in their 30s, but some children have also been found to be affected by this disorder.

Some health experts estimate that for every person who is actually diagnosed with a “full blown” case of SAD, there are many more people who have a milder case of SAD whose symptoms have not been diagnosed. As you might expect, the incidence of SAD increases the farther north one travels. But, this trend doesn’t continue all the way up to the North Pole.

Unlike many disorders, this one may indeed be geographical in nature. But there is no clear cut geographical lines, it seems. It all depends on the reactions of the individuals. There have been instances of people who feel fine while they live in Maryland. When they move to say a more northern city, like Toronto, Canada, they develop SAD. And the opposite is true as well. A person who lives in Baltimore, Maryland may be diagnosed with SAD, but when she moves farther south to Miami her symptoms disappear naturally.

Reference: Winter Blues: Everything You Need to Know to Beat Seasonal Affective Disorder

You know an herb is good when cultures on different sides of the globe use it for the same thing. The Chinese, Europeans, and American Indians all used the leaves and fresh berries of the Uva Ursi for bladder infections, kidney stones and incontinence. North American colonists found that Native Americans used the herb as a urinary remedy, and even mixed it with other plants to smoke.

Commonly known as Bearberry, Uva Ursi is a short evergreen shrub with small leathery leaves. Medical herbalists report that the diuretic action comes from arbutin, which is absorbed, remains unchanged and then excreted by the kidneys producing and antiseptic effect on the urinary mucus membranes.

Uva Ursi strengthens the urinary passages and is good for inflammation of every part of the urinary system. It also increases the flow of urine and cleanses the spleen. In his book, The Little Herb Encyclopedia, Jack Ritchason writes, “Uva ursi is an astringent herb with strong affinity for the urinary system. It has been used to help correct bedwetting, bladder diseases, cystitis, kidney congestion and infections of the kidneys and urinary tract (234).”

This herb also helps urine that is high in acid maintain a healthy pH balance.

In Heal Your Life with Home Remedies, Hanna Kroeger recommends the “trace minerals from Uva ursi” along with “vitamins A, B6, C and E” as a remedy for bladder infection (133).

Urva Ursi should not be taken by pregnant women because it stimulates the uterine contractions.

Hydrangea
Hydrangea is an elegant shrub that grows in the southern and midwestern part of the United States. It contains bitter compounds that make it a great blood purifier and cleanser of the entire urinary tract.

Hydrangea is very helpful for urinary problems, preventing the formation of gravel, helping any deposits to pass through the ureters from the kidney to the bladder. It increases the flow of urine and will remove bladder stones as well as the accompanying pain. Hydrangea acts as a solvent to help break down and prevent further formation of stones and deposits in the urinary and glandular systems.

Hydrangea is a diuretic herb that promotes the overall health of the prostate gland, by reducing inflammation, infection and swelling.

It also contains nutrients and minerals including high concentrations of calcium that is so important for strong bones and healthy connective tissues, and it is helpful for the swelling of arthritis and can ease the effects of severe rheumatism.

Many herbs will work well on a particular illness, while others may work better for one person than another. If you are allergy prone or uncomfortable using medicinal herbs, it is recommended that you seek the advice of your doctor before using any herbal products.

Most headaches are tension headaches — the result of stress stored in the neck and shoulders. The discomfort can radiate to the eyes and back and before you know it you’re miserable.  If we believe the commercials that bombard us, the easiest way to deal with headaches is to pop a few pills.

While taking medication can cure the headache, there are steps we can take to ease the pain naturally and even prevent headaches in the first place.

The first step in treating a headache is to figure out why it’s there. Many things can cause headaches, such as poor sleep, stress, allergies, eye strain, diet and illness. If you get regular headaches, you may want to see your physician to rule out the possibilities of migraines, a need for glasses, or some other physical reason. While you’re there, be sure to ask about ways to alleviate your headaches naturally. They may have suggestions that can help.

Here are some good strategies you can use to treat your headaches without drugs:

1. Exercise. We know we need it, but not all of us get the amount of exercise we require for optimum health. When you exercise, your body produces chemicals, such as endorphins and adrenaline, which help you deal better with headaches and stress. As you already know, stress is a trigger for tension headaches.

Exercise is the number one way to reduce stress and alleviate stress headaches. You don’t have to go to the gym and work out for hours on end to feel the benefits. When you feel a headache coming on, get up out of your chair and start to move. Even if it’s just a five-minute walk, it’s better than nothing. Regular exercise can help keep those headaches at a minimum. Many people find classes such as aerobics and yoga helpful for dealing with stress. Less stress equals fewer headaches.

2. Use essential oils and herbs. Many people find relief from headaches by massaging a few drops of peppermint, lavender or chamomile essential oil into the temples or the back of the neck. Ensure you’re using a quality essential oil.

Herbs can also be helpful. One of the easiest methods to benefit from herbs when experiencing a headache is to drink herbal tea. There are many varieties, including tea blends made specifically for headaches. Enjoy a cup of chamomile tea at your desk to help ease your headache. Other teas that help are the same as the essential oils: lavender, peppermint and wintergreen.

3. Reflexology. While you probably can’t run out during your busy day and get a massage to ease your headache, there is an alternate available: reflexology. In reflexology, points in the feet and hands correspond to parts of the body.

Your toes and the areas right below them correspond to the head, sinuses and ears. Massaging these areas gently can significantly improve a headache. Something as simple as taking off your shoes and rubbing your feet can be the natural cure you’re seeking.

4. Use hot and cold. Many times a headache will respond to a change in temperature. Place a cold compress on the back of the neck. You can use ice or a damp cloth that has been in the freezer for a few minutes. If your headache doesn’t respond to cold, try a warm cloth instead.

Another method is to alternate between hot and cold compresses. A footbath works as a natural cure. Soaking your feet in hot water can provide headache relief. Increase the effect by adding a few drops of essential oil to the bath.

5. Eat properly. Many headaches are diet related. Paying attention to what you eat – or what you don’t eat – may give you a clue as to why you’re getting headaches. Headaches can be your body’s way of telling you that it isn’t getting the nutrients it needs to function properly.

Diets high in fats and preservatives and low in fiber are not going to help you get better. When we consume this type of diet, our immune system suffers, and we can experience headaches as a result. Be sure to try a few of these methods to naturally treat your headaches. The truth is, not all headaches will respond the same way. What works one time may not work the next. As always, inform your doctor if you cannot find relief through these methods or with over the counter medication.