Holistic Methods: Hemp Seed Oil and Aromatherapy in Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Holistic Methods: Hemp Seed Oil and Aromatherapy in Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Aromatherapy is a well known holistic method for healing, but when boosted by the quickly penetrating carrier hemp seed oil, the healing potential is magnified exponentially. No other carrier oil can take the beneficial medicinal qualities of aromatic essential oils as quickly through the epidermis as hemp seed oil, so if your lotions and salves are missing it, you're not doing your body justice, but it's not too late?.Many of you are familiar with local retailer Hemp Essentials at 624 Lincoln Avenue. But Hemp Essentials' holistic bath and body line is also available elsewhere in town, and it's a good thing- because this unbeatable skin line has just gone nationwide, and the retail store has just closed. Owner and formulator Heather Howell-Durand has moved her bustling factory to her home and will be opening a larger factory in Steamboat's west end later this summer.Those who have tried Hemp Essentials' lotions, healing serums, or soaps for your dry skin or other malady, know that there's something different about these formulas. Instead of waiting for weeks for something to work on your ailment, whether it's physical or emotional, you feel better in days. And it isn't because there's something super-powered in the lavender essential oil, it's because the essential oils are being taken through your epidermis on the wings of a super oil.If you've met Howell, even once, you'll have heard her soapbox for hemp: "Hemp seed oil is the only oil in the plant kingdom that can penetrate the lipid layer of your skin" and take the healing powers of the essential oils straight to the bloodstream, kicking in nearly immediately. And if you haven't met Howell, she's the biggest promoter of hemp you'll meet, and rightfully so. She's not just bragging to make a sale; she knows that her products work better than any other!Howell discovered the powers of hemp through much research during graduate school at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins while getting her masters in Hemp Textile Design. Just as hemp seed oil sneaks through the protective outer layer of your skin, the power of it snuck into Howell's life. She began formulating lotions and soaps with fragrance (unnatural) oils and selling them at fairs and expositions. But the additional ingredients that are combined with the hemp seed oil become so magnified that without using 100% pure products, Howell felt this skin line would be paradoxical.This is what pushed Howell to "go organic" in 2002. She began using all natural and pure essential oils, supportive carrier oils, and herbs. And her clients noticed. Suddenly she was consulting on emotional ailments from menopause to sleeplessness, physical ailments from joint pain to psoriasis, and she was hearing of amazing results. Howell decided to get her degree as a Certified Clinical Aromatherapist to better serve her clients and begin teaching aromatherapy.Their healing powers of essential oils lie in their highly concentrated plant essences that can heal many physical and emotional dis-ease. Howell sees many customers with stress, tension, physical aches, and dermatological ailments that come to her after they've tried everything else. Within days of trying one of seven blends of Hemp Essentials her customers notice rapid healing results. Howell is as dedicated to her clients as she is to her research, and will formulate special blends for specific ailments if requested. What she finds most important is educating her clients on the benefits of aromatherapy while dispelling the myths of hemp and its oil.Currently the natural product market is based mostly on what we put inside our bodies. Stores seem the least concerned with what we put on our skin. Most of the products on bathroom shelves right now- even those claiming to be natural- will likely have alcohol, petroleum, or drying chemicals in their ingredients. The epidermis is the largest organ in the human body, yet it's treated with the poorest respect. Putting anything other than natural products on the skin will affect the physical and emotional well-being. Hemp Essentials' unrefined hemp seed oil products support the inner, or "lipid" layer of the epidermis, replenishing the natural oil that the lipid layer produces instead of blocking and depleting it as all other oils and lotions do. Hemp seed oil not only carries the essential oils quickly through the skin, but it rejuvenates and protects the skin as well, giving it a younger and healthier look. And of course, by disposing of these natural products down your sinks, you can sleep well at night knowing that your environment isn't suffering from your body products either.To most, this philosophy of naturalism seems obviously beneficial, yet again, most bath and body products say one thing and do another (or nothing at all). The conscious choice is up to you!Andy Jehn has been a contributor for The Local since its inception and is a freelance writer and published author. She is also founder of her own Alternative Healing practice, Innerself Lightworks, practicing many of metaphysics' fine arts.
This article appears courtesy of The Local and may not be reprinted without both parties consent. For the archive of Holistic Methods, please see http://www.thesteamboatlocal.com/hol.phpFor more on Help Seed Oil Products see http://www.hempessentials.com
Alternative Medicine, Complementary, Integrative, Wellness, Holistic ? What Do They All Mean?
Alternative Medicine, Complementary, Integrative, Wellness, Holistic ? What Do They All Mean?
Alternative medicine has grown in so many ways in North America. More people are visiting alternative medical practitioners than Western medical doctors. People spend more money on alternative medicine than they do out-of-pocket on Western medicine.Another way that alternative medicine has grown is in the different labels. We have so many!What do they all mean?All these terms refer to a wide variety of healthcare practices originating from various countries and cultures. They include acupuncture, yoga, herbs, vitamin therapy, nutrition, exercise, reiki, reflexology, polarity and many, many other therapies.However, each label also has its own unique twist when referring to this set of practices.Let me take the labels one-by-one and give you a short description. Please note that these are my descriptions for each term, and other people may not agree. But I think I'm using the most widely-used definitions here.Alternative MedicineThe term alternative medicine is probably the oldest and most widely used term. Unfortunately, it is also the most misleading.Alternative medicine means that these healthcare practices (acupuncture, yoga, etc.) are used instead of Western medicine. A patient swears off any type of pharmaceutical drug or surgical technique and uses only Chinese medicine or homeopathy or whatever.This hardly ever happens. Few patients are so myopic to close themselves off from all Western medical treatments. It really isn't advisable. I know many, many holistic practitioners and I've never heard any of them advise a patient to close themselves off from Western medicine. How silly! Western medicine has its own benefits to offer too, why ignore them.But, that is the real definition of alternative medicine. You can see why it is being phased out slowly.Complementary MedicineA newer term is complementary medicine. This means that the practices I list above may be used as a complement to Western medicine. You go to your doctor, and he prescribes some drugs and/or surgery, then if that doesn't work, he asks you to try some other complementary approaches. Or, it may also mean when the above practices are used side-by-side with Western medicine. An example of this is when acupuncture is used for chemotherapy cancer patients to relieve the nausea and pain. This would be considered complementary medicine.Be careful of the spelling here too. Complementary means a side-by-side approach to medicine. Complimentary means that it is free, no charge.Integrative MedicineA term pioneered by Dr. Andrew Weil from the University of Arizona is integrative medicine.This means that physicians (Western and otherwise) have an integrated system of medicine that involves certain pieces of Western medicine and certain parts from the Chinese, Indian, etc. therapies that I listed above. All the therapies intermix and you have the best possible "super therapy" as a result.As much as I like and respect Dr. Weil, I have to say that my experience says that truly integrative medicine does not yet exist anywhere yet. I've never seen a physician or any kind of practitioner who has an integrated plan for his patients that includes little bits of Western medicine and bits from multiple holistic practices.This is probably the "Holy Grail" of medicine, but I think it will be a long time coming. The clinics that proclaim themselves to be "integrative medicine" centers are usually just a collection of different practitioners who share the rent together in one building. True integration would be great, I just haven't seen it happen.WellnessIf the previous terms have been misleading or overly optimistic, this term is really succinct and accurate. The term wellness applies to everything a person does to stay well. It is all about prevention and achieving the greatest health a person can achieve.This is extremely accurate in describing the Chinese or Indian systems of medicine. And it is the best possible advice for patients, to get them on the track of staying well, rather than fixing illnesses.But, as you might guess, this term has a problem too. (Don't they all?) Wellness has been hijacked as a label for "early detection of disease." Many hospitals have a "Wellness Center" where they conduct cancer screenings and do unnecessary MRI scans to look for problems or potential problems. These are great profit centers for the hospitals, but unfortunately they have ZERO to do with wellness.Wellness is about eating right, getting enough sleep, exercising, taking the right herbs and having great relationships. It is NOT about early detection of disease. That doesn't help you stay well, it just allows you to jump on an illness before it has the chance to become life-threatening. Valuable, sure, but it is not wellness.Holistic HealthFinally, we come to the term holistic health. You could also call it holistic medicine or holistic practices. It is also sometimes spelled "wholistic."Holistic comes from "the whole." It means to take a person as a whole being. The Chinese and Indian healing systems see a person, not just as a physical body, but as a body-mind-spirit. Their healing practices allow for all parts of the person and treat all parts equally. They have methodologies for solving problems in all three areas, and especially for finding problems that crisscross between body, mind and spirit (which most health problems do).Holistic health is my favorite term. It too has problems, though. Sometimes, holistic health is perceived as a "New Age" term, evoking angels and witches and crystal balls. These off-beat practices can certainly be included as part of holistic health, but they are not at its center. Practices like naturopathy, homeopathy, Chinese medicine, Indian ayurveda are truly about holistic health.But it will be hard to shake the New Age association for people who use the term holistic health.There's your whirlwind tour of definitions for alternative medicine. I hope this has been helpful. Use the definition that makes most sense to you. And be well!Daryl Kulak is the author of Health Insurance Off the Grid, a book that provides a simple, effective plan to reduce insurance costs for the self-employed, unemployed and underinsured. The book puts the new Health Savings Account (HSA) together with alternative medicine to create a workable, cost-effective plan for many Americans. The book is available at the Website http://www.healthoffthegrid.com
Holistic Pet Care?From a Distinctly Christian Perspective
Holistic Pet Care?From a Distinctly Christian Perspective
As a business, I've not been in the holistic pet care industry long. As a pet owner and pet care worker, it has been a very long journey. I came to this industry as a result of not only being extremely frustrated in traditional care and methods but because I am attracted to doing things naturally, the way God intended and always have been. What I've found in this industry is almost an oxymoron though.Holistic means caring for the entire person, animal, whatever it is you're doing ?mind, body and soul. It means to not just treat symptoms but to get at the root cause and treat that. In the pet care business, it means caring for the animal BEFORE it gets sick using natural foods not kibble, using natural whole food supplements, using homeopathic and naturopathic methods to build up the immune system so that when those bugs, parasites, viruses, bacteria, etc., come knocking at the door, the animal's body naturally fights them off without drugs and medicines. It means caring for the mind of your pet by exercise and interacting with them, training them using species specific methods, socializing them and so on. This is what holistic means.Here is my dilemma: why then is the holistic industry full of the New Age movement (i.e., the One World Order Movement)? Even more so why is it ASSUMED that I am a new ager because I'm in this industry? I've had a couple of people in some of the networking groups I belong to be hesitant to do business with me thinking I may be part of "that new age" movement. I've also had new agers just assume I am one of them and like me based solely on that. I don't know why precisely this industry is so inundated with this movement, but I am a voice for Christ in this arena ? Who is THE Healer, THE Great Physician.A few months ago I took a definitive stand to thwart any thoughts about where my alliance is but I didn't want to push away any "possibles" for Christ. I started publishing a Christian Quote for the Day on my holistic pet care RSS channel, AspenbloomWellPet. I got a lot of hits per day on that. So I decided, with the help of my partner, Cathy Carlton, to put up an all Christian RSS channel that was encouraging and yet distinctly Christian and we called it Sharing Spirit ? which is in fact a "subchannel" of AspenbloomWellPet. It keeps the two connected and no doubts as to where my faith lies.I continue to share bits and pieces of my faith on AspenbloomWellPet ?usually in my weekly editorial so that there is never any doubt. I was also fortunate to find another like-minded Christian woman to help me start up some audio classes in preventative pet care. She is a breeder and uses all holistic means to care for herself and her pets. We're a novelty I can tell you! We both feel God has brought us together to infiltrate and penetrate, as we're not called to isolate. We're even calling our venture (her idea by the way) All God's Creatures. That has never brought any negative feelings to anyone, and in fact, we've had great reception from the leaders in the holistic pet care industry including veterinarians, herbalists, aromatherapists, and so on.I know that God gives us our talents, our desires, and our abilities. Then He gives us the wherewithal to use them for His glory if we're but willing. So, He enables the called, and then opens the doors to do His bidding. I kept wondering, well how in the world are you going to use my love of animals and natural healing for anything Lord?
Good thing God has a sense of humor and can laugh at our ignorance, huh?I feel very blessed that God is using me in this capacity ?to shine the True Light into the darkness. While this road is not heavily traveled by Christians, or at least those who admit they're Christian, I am hoping that many will "come out" and BE salt and light. Be His love so that those who believe they have the truth, but are being lied to, will be drawn into His Truth, His Holistic Healing!Kim Bloomer, of Aspenbloom, is a preventative pet care consultant. She also publishes several RSS channels including Aspenbloom WellPet Visit her website at Aspenbloom Pet Care