I spent a lot of time when I found out I was pregnant reading, asking advise, and trying to get my questions answered so that I could do everything right for my baby. I even interviewed pediatricians to find the one I felt comfortable with and would care for my baby.
I often say that I don’t know if I would have changed anything I was doing at the time just because someone said I should try another approach. I was comfortable with the decisions I had made with much investigation and thought.
Many times the common thread as I talk to the parents is that there was a significant event that stopped them from moving on the path they had been on and led them to search for something else. My “brick wall” was the Chemotherapy drug that I was not going to give to my five year old. I felt deep inside that there had to be something else I could do that would bring true healing and not just temporary symptom relief.
My fear of the effects that drug would have on my son sent me searching.
What does take back your power mean?
Children are a responsibility and we want to do the best for our children. You have the power to choose, but you must do your homework and make decisions that give you peace. There is a balancing act between taking control and letting life unfold in its miraculous way.
Honor the life that was entrusted to you for this brief time.
We have found combining frequent chiropractic adjustment and good nutrition with time produces small changes that bring the milestones.
Mothers have observed functional changes about every third day, regardless of where their child falls in the range of neurological disorganization. As you observe more you expect more from your child. This program, to be successful, requires self discipline from both mother and child.
The individualized home program is scheduled over several hours in a consistent block of time, and best accomplished in the morning five days a week. We have found that this discipline—mother’s commitment to work eye to eye with her child, produces amazing results.
Mother’s responsibility must be to raise her child. When there are challenges to face, you may feel even more limited. Each of us has to decide how committed we will be to the long haul for our child and what sacrifices we have to make in order to stick to the physical discipline and reach our goal.
This is hard to balance, but as the rhythm of the discipline becomes steady you will be able to sense when to take a break. Many times this occurs when the child has reached a milestone and needs the time to explore, expand and refine this new ability. Each child responds in a different way at a different time to a given exercise. It takes diligent practice. Nothing is gained without effort. Allow him to practice, develop independence and realize his world is now bigger and better.
Whatever the situation, when your child’s organization kicks in, it is like a beam of light getting bigger and brighter. The child’s consciousness is revealed more and more. With each new accomplishment, the next stage of responsibility is more challenging for the child and a little less work for the parent.
Take a moment to celebrate a new level of function! Your determination and hard work along with your child’s new ability become your motivation to continue. Your day to day sacrifice of time and energy has a pattern of its own—with ups and downs (chaos before order) as it spirals to the next level. Over time your goals will be higher as your understanding of the why and how of all you are doing becomes clearer.
As you give to this life with a bold and expectant heart throughout the journey, your child blossoms, and you receive all your efforts multiplied many, many times in return. As you direct your beam of love to seeing your child whole and functioning the sacrifice becomes the blessing.
Believe your child can be well and trust your intuition. Each of our children is a sweet mysterious spirit, a miraculous being full of potential. Take a moment to realize how you have disciplined yourself, trusted your innate and been rewarded at each step along the way.
“Love, is the divine alchemy of life, it transmutes all duties into privileges, all responsibilities into joys.”
–William George Jordan
Are symptoms the best scale on which to judge our health?
By focusing on our symptoms and how we feel, we can be fooled into thinking that the absence of symptoms means we are healthy, when we are merely more comfortable.
Once you get started in chiropractic you may see changes in your child that you were not expecting. Changes that to you are just other symptoms to be dealt with. These symptoms are not bad as they are the body’s ability to eliminate what it doesn’t need. This just means the body is getting healthier by performing its functions.
What you may see as problematic symptoms we see as the body discharging and these processes should not be suppressed.
Vomiting – usually bad food or toxins
Bowel movements – it is not unusual for the bowel to move after each meal
Constipation – more water and exercise
Diarrhea – body expelling toxins
Rashes – the skin is the largest secreting organ – expelling poisons
Ear discharge
Nasal Discharge
Fever – body burns out toxins, if you suppress the fever it may burn higher the next time. Let it run its course.
Behavioral changes – like an addict withdrawing – also a sign the body needs an adjustment
It took me about a year to finally understand this concept and appreciate the choices we made to help health happen in the first place. Both of my children’s bodies began discharging as we started chiropractic and eating a better diet. I remember my oldest throwing up at the end of the second week of treatments. At the time I just thought he had a “bug”. Looking back I know that his body was detoxing. It was 6 months after we began chiropractic that he developed a rash on his legs. Robert wasn’t celebrating, but I was. To me this was a sign that his body was strong enough to eliminate deeper levels of toxins.
Compared to this son’s journey, my second son was a mess! For three weeks he discharged from his eyes, ears, nose and throat. If I had not understood this new idea of health I would have taken him for antibiotics, cough syrup, eyedrops and they probably would have scheduled a tonsillectomy. When his body had cleared all this stuff that had been building up, his whole system was healthier. Clearing all this stuff naturally made his immune system stronger and his body was able to work through the next time much faster and with less symptoms.
Picture a bucket three-quarters full of water. The bucket represents your body and the water level represents your level of health.
Three things affect the water level:
1. Healthy lifestyle choices such as fresh whole foods, rest, exercise, and mental attitude that are poured into the bucket. Used properly, they add water to our bucket. These may be pouring in continuously or just drops here and there, depending on how we choose to use them.
2. Heredity – Heredity limits a person’s potential. You’ve heard of genetic potential, the physical limit at which you can express yourself. This is illustrated as a hole at the top of the bucket that acts much like the drain at the top of the bathroom sink or bathtub. It prevents the water level from reaching the top.
3. Stress, Trauma and Toxins – These represent holes in the bottom of the bucket. We will never be able to eliminate all the stress in our lives, accidents, the aging process, toxins, microbes, etc. These are all parts of this imperfect world in which we live. So, what is one to do? Common sense can do a good job of keeping those holes in our buckets to a minimum. When someone sneezes, avoid the “spray zone.” Don’t play in traffic, and don’t eat spoiled food. But, in our attempt to reduce the size of one hole, we can inadvertently make another hole even bigger. For example, in our attempt to “kill” the microbes or “germs” in our bodies, we take a pill, a quick fix. This may have the effect of temporarily closing off the “microbe hole,” but what happens to the “toxin hole?’ You guessed it – it gets bigger. You have traded one for the other, with no net improvement in the health/water level. In fact, the bucket could be draining faster than ever. Your health could be getting worse, although you feel better because you no longer appear to have the symptoms. Masking the symptoms is only pushing the body deeper into the body. The next time around the problems may increase.
How does chiropractic fit into this analogy? As mentioned above, we can do many things for ourselves to increase the flow into the bucket. One thing we cannot do for ourselves is remove interference caused by spinal misalignment from our nerve system. By removing interference to the life force, the function of the body improves as the energy flows freely. Correction of vertebral subluxation is the prerequisite to expressing life and health to our optimum potential. Proper function is, by definition, health. Chiropractic helps us keep our buckets full!
Basically it boils down to this. You did not get ill in one day and your healing will take time also.
Health is a process and all processes take time. Sometimes things look worse before they get better.
What to do to help children through these symptoms?
Get a chiropractic adjustment!
Salt baths / Clay to pull toxins either externally or internally
Beans, grains, greens and plenty of water to help move the bowel
Peppermint or chamomile tea for upset stomach
Food – We desire a whole foods diet, free from artificial ingredients, poisons. Sugar and white flour snacks cause the adrenal gland to be whipped and stressed to the point that we can’t sleep well. It is not hard to tell when my teenagers have eaten junk. They are tired or wired.
Sleep – Lack of sleep or restless sleep is another stress that causes our bodies to lose health. It shows up as short attention spans, irritability, lethargic (slow) actions – slow, painful journey to lack of function.
Just as the ocean tide ebbs and flows, the sun rises and sets, we experience waves of health. Over the months and years, we watch our child make changes. We see the exciting, dramatic and seemingly magical improvements in our children, which inspire us and create momentum. Then … comes a period of time where the changes are small or we wonder if there are changes in them at all. As parents, we are with our child each day and the changes are sometimes difficult to see. One chiropractor described it as watching hair grow. We know it has grown because we need a haircut. Remember that ultimately, the only constant is change.
There may also be a time that seems like a tremendous undertow. The progress made seems to be slipping away. In reality it is an upward spiral moving outward. It seems to stand still at times, but it is a wider orb as the body adapts. Each new level brings with it new discoveries that may seem to cause delay instead of progress. The child can now do more and must work this new mastery in with or replace the old abilities. As we understand the chiropractic lifestyle and how the body balances and progresses through this process, we learn to observe, seeing the child emerge. Time brings more consciousness, a brighter, livelier child who reaches each of life’s milestones with more expression.
As the body gains its balance, the physical symptoms such as mucus, rashes, diarrhea, vomiting, seizures, etc. are actually the body’s ability to discharge toxins, releasing what the body doesn’t need. You think it will never end as the body goes through one symptom or the entire list. Here is where more adjustments are needed to give the body the power it needs to totally cleanse. The body can then heal in its natural way without scars. One man tells an inspiring story of having scarlet fever as a child. This would usually preclude the possibility of ever becoming a pilot due to the scars left on the heart, but because his body was allowed to heal naturally, there were not scars in adulthood and he was able to accomplish his dream. Trust the body to heal…it will!
The loving bond shared between the mother and child is all-important during these times. The tender, gentle love a mother brings to her child is the human element of the life force. A mother’s love is the most important; it is the foundation for all a mother does and all her child can become.
The way back to health is not an easy journey, but the reward of a happy, healthy child is worth any sacrifice you might make at this time for his independence and yours in the years to come.
Essential Oil:
Purification – A blend of the following oils: citronella, lemongrass, rosemary,
Melaleuca (tea tree), lavandin (lavender hybrid), and myrtle.
Use topically on the skin to cleanse and soothe insect bites, cuts, and scrapes. Rub on feet for cleansing. Use aromatically to purify and cleanse the air from environmental impurities. Place the oil on cotton balls to put in air vents of home, car, hotel room and office.
Exercise: Goal Setting
To help see the improvements take time each month to:
• Set goals for your family – food, vacation, time together, whatever your family decides
• Evaluate your progress – were they realistic goals, were they challenging enough?
Think, see and feel your goals – they will manifest!
A child’s performance is usually far behind his peers when he arrives at Oklahaven to pursue the chiropractic way of life. Yet, even a severely disabled child has areas of normal ability shining through his dis-ability. This little bit of sunshine gives everyone hope.
Parents set their sites on achieving a goal, whether it’s improvement in
Crawling, creeping, & walking
Seeing & hearing
Drug-free life with less seizures
Understanding & talking
Reading & writing
Social behavior
This journey is not going to be an overnight tour. In the first weeks of chiropractic care parents see outstanding changes. They may not be the big ones parents are dreaming of, but their gratitude for these significant small changes will lead them forward.
We find that typically:
A child appears calmer and less disorganized, happier and more aware of the world around him.
He may be less fearful and even show curiosity for the first time.
He may develop a sense of caution on his own instead of having to be protected from hurting himself or others.
His sleeping, elimination, appetite and breathing mature so he can focus his attention for longer periods of time.
As time goes on, small changes, noticeable and never before achievable, begin to happen, sometimes inconsistently at first. These changes are of better quality and have longer periods of duration. By knowing what aspects of sensory function are disorganized and how they relate to the milestone you are looking for, you will be able to interpret your child’s progress realistically and with great joy.
Let’s take language as an example. Speech relies on vibration and energy of the body and of the auditory pathway. We need to hear the world to learn the sounds then the nervous system of the body will organize into coherent speech. Many of the important initial changes will be sensory indicators of a strengthening of the auditory pathway. The following list has been culled from Oklahaven’s staff and parents’ observations:
• Light comes back into their eyes
• Expression on their face
• Begins to hear all language and environmental sounds better
• “Tunes out” less, is more aware and in present time consciousness
• Gives more eye contact when we talk to him or when he wants something
• Follows new commands
• Stops humming and other sound making behaviors
• Eating and chewing, swallowing and breathing are more coordinated
• Is more verbal and begins to use single words more often and in context
• Begins to repeat what others say
• New words are pronounced more clearly
• Begins to make questions and expects answers
• More intonation in voice, even if babbling or speaking too quickly mother knows what he is saying
• More difficult sounds such as “th,” “sh,’ or “ch” become clearer
• Spatial orientation and balance improve as language increases
• Manual coordination becomes more precise
• Self-correction of mispronunciation is spontaneous and without upset
• Becomes more affectionate and open with emotions
• A sense of gratitude develops once the child can interact with parents more successfully
• He takes pride in his participation
• Coordination of the mouth muscles, more defined & more facial expression
• Diminished hyper startle reflex
The sequence of these changes reflects the unfoldment of the human pattern – what is needed to secure the child’s development, as the little acorn becomes the mighty oak tree. This sequence will vary slightly for each individual.
At Oklahaven we have observed changes ranging from the development of speech where there wasn’t any in toddlers to cessation in stuttering and restoration of proper pronunciation in older children who speak poorly.
A child knows what he wants to say. His problem is not his intelligence, but the organization of his thoughts into speech. Chiropractic has powerful effects on releasing auditory blockages caused by subluxations that inhibit language development. Once nerve system interference is removed and the power of innate intelligence is released the body begins to heal and organize its sensory and motor pathways toward full organization and full function.
I remember, as my son shed the dis-ease called arthritis and embraced a stronger healthier body, he emerged from having a slow, lethargic and very cautious manner to an energetic, more physically loving child with his true personality beaming. It was gradual, but each week it became more apparent.
I encourage you to pick a few of the small changes you are seeing then post these small steps in a prominent place for everyone to see. Soon the distance you and your child have come will be evident.
The child’s experimentation, the daily discipline of his neuro-developmental program and his mother’s love–diligent and patient, will make him a winner!
“Faith is: dead to doubts, dumb to discouragements, blind to impossibilities.”
~ Anonymous
“A Candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.” Father James Keller (1900-1977)
When Oklahaven’s Parent Support Group met earlier this year, we acknowledged our common fears and found support to help us meet our fears and to conquer them. Board member, Sue Moore from Dale Carnegie helped us refine our personal stories so that we could tell them to others in a more powerful way.
This was such an encouraging time! We learned that we could only share our own personal stories. That is, where our child was and how chiropractic had changed his life. We knew how hard we had worked and we still had a long ways to go. We had all encountered some negative comments, but we learned to say, “yes, but this is what I saw,” and to repeat our stories positively again and with confidence no matter the objections.
It’s very important for us to realize that we are the parents, not chiropractors, and we don’t have to explain chiropractic; only the positive changes that we saw in our children. Our homework was to refine our stories and keep telling them.
You have a great deal to share! Sharing the triumphs that you and your child have
experienced through a natural lifestyle can be a wonderful gift. You can become the greatest philanthropist of all time without giving away a dime.
Your knowledge will bring encouragement. As you share your story, you offer hope of a brighter future to struggling children and searching parents.
This holiday season, just as the candle stands tall and bright and gives light to another candle without being diminished, the light of natural healthcare shines more powerfully as we continue to spread our message of hope and healing to others.
“You never know how far reaching what you say or do today will affect the lives of millions tomorrow.”
~ B.J. Palmer, D.C., Ph. C. (Developer of Chiropractic)
Think back — was there a special person who took that time with you — someone you’ve never forgotten? I am continually grateful to the person who told me about chiropractic.
Make a real difference this season and share the gift of health with others!
The greatest gift that you can give yourself is an attitude of gratitude.
The following are a few tips on confronting objections, difficult questions and how to respond to a verbal assault without assaulting back. With preparation and practice parents can be confident no matter the situation:
Always speak from your heart – It’s your story, your experiences are what you know and people usually are more willing to listen if you convey your message with sincerity and conviction.
Engage the person – Find their interests and thoughts. They will be more receptive if you make it about them. One way to get them engaged is ending a statement with a two or three word tag question that causes them to think. For instance:
“I’m trying to learn all I can so I can keep my family healthy, aren’t you?”
“I have seen so many improvements in my child. Others should know about this shouldn’t they?”
Respond to difficult questions by reframing the question- To reframe the question means to repeat or rephrase the question to make it your question and to take the “sting” or “barb” out of the question, if that was the intention. For example:
Question: “What gives you the right to talk about chiropractic care, you aren’t a chiropractor!”
Possible way to reframe: “The question has to do with my credibility. I have watched as my child progresses to health and appropriate chiropractic care has greatly improved her quality of life.”
Prepare two positive messages about your child’s story that you want to communicate no matter where the conversation goes then practice them with people you are comfortable with until it is second nature. For instance:
“Before coming to Oklahaven, walking was very difficult for my child and he was not able to walk for over five minutes without needing to stop to rest. Now he can walk for 20 minutes without needing to stop and he walks with more ease and balance.”
In this season of gratitude, brighten another’s darkness by taking the time to share your story. Just as the candle stands tall and bright and gives light to another candle, without being diminished, the light of natural healthcare shines more powerfully as we continue to spread our message of hope and healing to others.
Recipe: Healthy Cranberry Relish
Combine 1 pound of fresh cranberries and 2 medium sized tart apples, such as Granny Smith apples, and the juice of a lemon or orange in a food processor until finely chopped. Add honey to taste. Optional additions to the relish are chopped nuts or spices such as Cinnamon, Cardamom, Coriander, or Nutmeg.
Essential Oil: Myrrh Resin from a tree that grows in Middle East, India and Northeast Asia; used in very small quantities.
Myrrh is a powerful antiseptic on the mucous membranes. It has been said that Myrrh is a remedy second only to Echinacea. When mixed with water it is excellent as a gargle for a sore throat. It is valuable as a cleansing and healing agent to the stomach and colon for it helps soothe inflammation and speeds the healing process. Myrrh gives vitality and strength to the digestive system, helping in waste elimination.
You have the power to choose, but you must do your homework and make decisions that give you peace.
You cannot know if there is peace unless you take time to listen for and feel your instincts about this situation apart from what has happened in the past.
Fear & doubt
Your biggest fear maybe being afraid of what the future holds. Parents are terrified of making the wrong choices and are worried. Stepping out of the mainstream to make the choice of natural health care is extremely frightening.
Desperation combines with the determination to do whatever it takes to help your child.
Overcoming fear and taking your power back –
Although it can be daunting, facing fears and reacting to your inner feelings will dissipate the fears and will move you forward. A mother’s intuition is stronger than anyone else’s when it comes to nurturing her child. “Gut instinct” or “intuition” are merely fancy names for all the watching, listening, and wondering a loving mother does concerning her child. Your intuition is your higher self or your soul. You are soul; you are not looking for your soul. Soul is a part of God. Reacting to your inner feelings keeps you genuine. Always know the answer is inside – all knowledge is within you, if you take the time to be quiet and listen. It is your judgment. Move ahead with awareness and wisdom.
All that has happened to you and your child has made you stronger by relying on yourself, listening to your inner voice or intuition. All philosophers agree that your insight is correct if you can stay positive. Believe in your child as a spiritual being who has great potential. Expect the changes and keep the vision you have of your child becoming independent and reaching his full potential. The chiropractic premise is that life is from the inside out. We call this the innate intelligence of the body.
There is a balancing act between taking control and letting life unfold in its miraculous way.
Getting the child healthy enough
Focus- You must be focused each day. Keep the vision and expect miracles. Parents learn how to keep the child going forward by staying focused on:
Frequency of adjustments
which removes the subluxation from the nervous system,
You are what you eat and you are that you breathe.
What is the breath?
Vibration holds us together! Vibrations are frequencies that the ordinary man is not usually aware of. This vibration or life force keeps all life going forward. It is the force of God. In chiropractic we call this force “innate intelligence” for it is within the body. All life exists because of this force.
Man is not always mindful that this force maintains his life on the planet earth. He has the impression that he is only a physical body. He cannot create this breath, yet he seeks it in his own baby’s first breath. This miraculous moment makes the baby a spiritual being, Hu-man – “Hu” being the ancient name of God. The great proof of this is man’s death, when soul leaves the body, he breathes in and dies back. The breath or the life force goes with soul then the body returns to earth from whence it came.
What Breathing Does For Us
The body processes three things: food, liquid, and oxygen. With each inhalation our bodies bring in oxygen. Oxygen, like fire, contracts the muscles. It also repairs our system, feeds our brain, calms our nerves and is a chief cleaning tool for the body. Lungs are the body’s main excreting organs. Exhalation removes carbon dioxide waste and lets the oxygen burn stored fat.
Breathing has a general effect on sleep, memory, energy levels, and concentration. It strengthens the immune system, eliminates the build up of toxins in the tissues and blood cells, pulls infection to the surface and affects the respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, gastrointestinal, muscular, and psychic systems. It also makes our spine more flexible/limber.
For optimal health every cell in your body requires oxygen. Sickness thrives in a body that is poorly oxygenated. The body cannot store oxygen. Breathing is an automatic function. It is impossible – to forget to breathe.
Breathing is connected with the autonomic nervous system to help balance its functions. We find the benefits of breathing calming and relaxing to the body and stilling to the mind, creating a state of clarity and serenity.
Pattern of our Breathing
In a healthy person, this process of nostril dominance will shift about every ninety minutes to two hours, as the active and passive nostrils exchange roles.
The opposite side of the brain is fed with the nostril that is open. The right side of your brain is your creative side and the left controls logic and detail. If you need to pay attention to detail try holding your left nostril. Also observe how you sleep. Which side are you lying on? The upper side is feeding the opposite side of the brain.
Exercise #1
It is easy to tell which side is dominant by placing a fingertip in the flow of the exhalation. You will feel the greater and easier volume of air flow in the dominant nostril at this time. If you have difficulty, use a small pocket mirror to do the test. Notice the vapor pattern that condenses on the glass of the mirror. Watch and see the shift.
When the Breath Does Not Function Properly
With proper breathing there is a subtle, smooth serenity in the breath; the mind does not roam around but remains in a state of joy. There should be no gasp or extraneous movements with the breath.
At Oklahaven, we are observing how more children are moving their sacrums followed by jerking and twitching of their extremities; appearing to flop about like fish out of water. Their breathing, inhalation and exhalation, appears dis-organized.
When we do not get enough oxygen, we literally strangle our cells. The body bogs down and fills with sludge. The art of living is diminished as the child then becomes stubborn about change. His digestion becomes irregular, and the bowels do not move properly.
Exercise #2
• Lie supine (face up) to relax the pelvis.
• Bend knees with feet flat on floor.*
• Heel should be in line with the hip joint.
• Push heels slowly toward pelvis.
• Make sure knees are up, not touching nor splayed, but aligned with the pelvis.
• Be conscious of head alignment.
• Keep hands close to the body.
• Watch breath movement in the abdomen.
• Do not let child fall asleep. This is a different pattern of breathing.
• Observe the breath’s movements. It begins even and slow laterally. As the breath becomes deeper, the body becomes more relaxed.
• When you see the movement, then raise arms above head. This causes the breath to become deeper with the diaphragmatic movement.
Exercise #3
For the rigid child:
Keep knees bent. Lift legs to make shins parallel to the ground. Mother may hold legs with the child’s feet pushing against her chest. Align knees with hip joints. Watch hips to check if even.
A younger child will not usually cooperate, but twenty to thirty minutes of quiet relaxation will relax the body, clear the mind. Before an adjustment it is good to lay face down for a few minutes to calm from the business of life.
Our bodies are like a musical instrument that must be tuned and played well for the melody to be harmonious. Chiropractic adjustments “entune” our breathing as our bodies are aligned to function at their best.
I understand the frustration with the breathing. My boys were not always happy to lie down for their breathing time. I’m sure much of that had to do with our lives being so hurried and harried. Children begin to feel more comfortable with this part of the treatment, because they see and feel the difference it makes in their ability to think clearly, move easily and bring their emotions into balance.
I am more aware of my children’s breathing, especially as they go through the stresses of the day. I have added this exercise to my routine also.
Breath in…. calm…….exhale…renewal…..life!
SEASON’S GREETINGS! OH YES!… It is that time of year again when you wonder whether you will get it all done!
Don’t get overly excited. I don’t have the answer, but I would like to offer this encouragement. Before you throw your hands up and think that there’s just too much to do and too little time, here is a quote from an unknown source to think about.
“To do great important tasks, two things are necessary; a plan and not quite enough time.”
Yes, it is a little tongue in cheek perhaps, but those two words in the middle are the key. It really will help to stop, be quiet, and come up with a plan. As you gather your thoughts, your soul then will move you forward.
I must admit this is something I am working on and some days I just want to do until it is done, but on the days that I take the time to make the plan and follow it, my stress level is significantly reduced and I as I go back to my plan, I feel good about the things that were completed!
Of course, it never hurts to not quite have enough time!
What works in your busy life? Will you share it with another mom?
May your holidays be blessed and joyous!
The children with special needs have breathing that is shallow, usually no exhalation, Similar to a fish out of water. Their sacrum moves and their hands move. These families are encouraged to have 30 minutes of real laughter daily! It increases the life force within the body to help heal more effectively.
Hu-mor is our Hu-man-ness. We laugh at our human behaviors. When you look back on life it is the things that you thought went wrong that you remember and laugh at now. What makes us laugh, most often is when the outcome is not what we thought or the unexpected. Humor is not a trick, not jokes. Humor is a presence in the world.
How would we make it through some of the things with which we have to deal, if we did not have a sense of humor? As we wait for our children to grow and show their personalities, let’s celebrate the present. Make the most of every day. Not with tricks but with silliness! Be goofy! Laugh together.
Everyone has a few good laughs in the family photo album.
Try to find some from your childhood and laugh at how things have changed.
Tell your children how life was different.
What makes that time special for you now?
What your hopes and dreams as a child were for your life.
How your children changed your life.
Tell them what you love and enjoy laughing about right now.
Just laugh to laugh, whether it is reacting to a situation that makes you angry, disappointed, upset, put out, or happy. Just try laughing. Laugh out loud!
Laughter engages children in a playful, fun, and joyous activity and nothing is better than childlike stimulated laughter. The use of laughter on purpose, for the health of it, has great potential for helping children become more whole.
“Laughter is so strong even making the facial gestures will
fill the body with joy and strengthen the immune system.”
Laughter Yoga is a great healing tool for people of all ages. The beautiful thing is that the mothers and parents learn a new fun and creative way to interact with their children. It engages the children in playful, fun, joyous and childlike stimulated laughter. You are encouraged to have 10 minutes of real laughter daily!
In directed laughter sessions the children and their parents follow a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader through a series of innovative exercises designed to help them with a variety of challenges.
In these directed laughter sessions the children and their parents help them breathe more deeply, increase lung capacity, help to relieve stress, and boost natural immunity. Laughter helps put us in the moment and engage joyful emotions to foster a healthy state of being.
The use of laughter on purpose, for the health of it, has great potential for helping children become more whole.
Laughter Yoga teaches the ways to laugh and connect:
• He He He – Throat
• Ha Ha Ha – Thoracic
• Ho Ho Ho – Gut
Eye contact is an important component, makes us laugh harder, helping to build relationships and happy memories.
Building from a half a minute, to a minute, to five minutes as you make this practice part of your lifestyle…working toward the 10 minutes each day.
The children with special needs have breathing that is shallow, usually no exhalation, Similar to a fish out of water. Their sacrum moves and their hands. These families are encouraged to have 30 minutes of real laughter daily! It increases the life force within the body to help heal more effectively.
In laughing we naturally inhale deeply, and exhale longer! We have observed many ways in which laughter impacts children. It helps:
o to increase lung capacity and tone the internal organs.
o lengthen each breath
o calm the body and emotions
o bring more focus and attention to the present environment
o regulate the frequency of outbursts of inappropriate laughter
o moderate volume in laughter and vocalizations, increasing range and quality of sounds through variations of laughter – moderating the volume
o increase the range of sounds
o everyone engage appropriately in fun joyous childlike laughter exercises.
o to boost the immune system, lower blood pressure and increase lung capacity
o our bodies release and let go
o when we laugh, natural pain relief is a side benefit
Laughter Yoga is a great healing tool for people of all ages.
P.S. On the internet you will find a certified Laughter Yoga Leader who will get you started through a series of innovative exercises. With time you will design your own to help with a variety of challenges.
“Quietude was one of my most valuable lessons which was re-affirmed for me during my son’s journey to health.” Paula Barnes
Taking time to be quiet and calm helps us to find direction and peace. It is as important as meeting the demands of the day. Learning to take quiet time for our children and ourselves is rewarding. Quietude helps us to relax and to listen for our inner voice, especially as life gets increasingly faster.
A time to reflect within offers children and adults alike an opportunity to grow spiritually, ground their emotions, expand their creativity and develop their imaginations.
Over time, the body’s defenses are weakened from a busy lifestyle, the Internet with its e-mail, cell phones, instant messaging, games, TV and other devices. These invisible electronic meteors hammer the unprotected physical being and weaken its defense. These distractions with a continual schedule of activities can wear down a person’s inner being putting stress on the physical body. Stress causes dis-ease and subluxation.
As parents we need to be conscious of quietude in regard to matters of daily living. Encourage children and reinforce their desire to read, write or just daydream. Writing with pen and paper in a quiet place calms the mind and enables the heart to hear that inner voice.
Just write what comes to mind without worrying about any order or content. This exercise can de-stress the mind and open it to new thoughts and the body to spiritual renewal. As your thoughts, feelings and emotions pour onto the paper, you bring them to the outer world. Watch what happens.
Set aside a time for reading. Reading gives a child the opportunity to go at his own pace, thinking on what he just read, or reading quickly to see what will happen next.
A child may find characters to which he relates. Some are disturbing and very different; others he would like to emulate.
Turn off the noise and really look at your family’s life – the pace, the number of activities that are necessary, fun, etc., and free up some time each day for quietude.
We must help our children find their own Natural Talents.
The key is Attention…work, thought, and silence are the Principles of Life.
Work and Silence are the two extremes; thought is the bridge between them. Work must be done with a fixed attention, so thought must be fixed with Single-mindedness. Silence must be maintained absolutely.
Without Attention, no amount of work, thought, silence will serve any purpose, time is wasted.
Harold Klemp
How to Help Improve the Body’s Ability to Detox and Function Optimally
“Let Food Be Your Medicine and Medicine Be Your Food “
Everything you take in affects your system — from the food you eat, to your emotions, and even to the environment around you.
The inner climate of the body constantly changes. At birth, an infant’s intestines have a very sterile environment. Within the first 20 days of life, a mixture of microbes begins to populate the interior surface of their intestines. At this time, the microbes or flora come from the mother and from everything the infant takes in. This flora has a tremendous effect on the child’s health and well being his entire life. The same tissue runs from the mouth to the anus continuously. Problems at one end usually reflect or affect problems at the other end or anywhere along the tract. Example: a sore throat usually reflects constipation. Each individual’s inner terrain is unique unto itself, because the flora evolves and becomes that individual and is critical to his well being. The flora’s delicate balance of both positive and negative, (acid or alkaline, good and bad bacteria) must be maintained, if not dis-ease, dis-orders, and then dis-function occurs. This is a large contributor to the fact that each generation has become weaker and sicker over the last few decades with more debilitating illnesses in our children and the general population.
The flora has many important functions. It digests the food, absorbs only what is needed at that time. The microbes of the flora build the cells, the cells build the tissues, and the tissues build the organs. The organs build, maintain, and form the body’s systems. That is why whole foods, not denatured (dead) have the elements needed for our body to build and function at its optimal potential. The flora also serves as the housekeeper and protector of our digestive system, filtering and eliminating the waste as fecal matter. This miraculous process occurs over and over allowing the body to function at its best. The physical aspects of your inner terrain make the difference in the way your body functions and how you think and feel.
Just as naming a dis-ease does not cure it; the same is true of any diet. The diet does not cure, anymore than a doctor does. All that it attempts to do is to change the body chemistry. Whole foods maintain the biological ideal of the body and help overcome any obvious symptoms of degeneration. The body begins to balance and all aspects of life improve as the body takes in the living nutrients from the whole food. Remember –Innate Intelligence is the only true physician able to restore the body. Physician, heal thyself!
Thoughts and actions do affect body chemistry! There is a strong connection between thoughts, actions and the body’s inner terrain. As humans, negativity is the other half of the lower dualistic world we live in, the physical plane. One negative thought can send your entire system into dis-ease.
The flight or fight response can manifest in this state. While in this mode, blood moves to the extremities, the body’s digestive system stops and the entire system becomes hyper–alert, such as when a caveman hears an animal growl. Being wary and on guard keeps one in this flight or fight response, creating an environment of stress, imbalance, and dis-ease. Staying in this state causes the body to lose its power. The life force becomes diminished — subluxation. We see this in children, as they become agitated manifesting as hyper….behavior or hypo…failure to thrive. They cannot grow properly,
Chiropractic adjustments contribute to the process of keeping the energy or life force of our body balanced which constantly helps us adapt to life’s circumstances. This proper balance maintains the body’s full function, bringing about a more disciplined life, balanced emotions, responsible behavior, and clearer thinking. These better choices enable us to live life with spiritual joy and wonderment, reaching our optimal potential. This is the chiropractic lifestyle.
Knowing these miracles are happening within our bodies, we can take our power, choose to stop our negative behaviors, rethink, and bring our conscience back to the moment. Seeing life happening for us rather than to us helps us look at the spiritual lesson behind each incident. This is why it is so important for us and our families to get adjusted, eat whole foods, reflect – be still, meditate, breathe, be outside, etc. being grateful to experience the joy and wonderment of the family responsibility.
For thousands of years, mankind has turned to herbs of the field, making use of the leaves, bark, roots, seeds, fruits, and nuts for both food and medicine.
Herbs actually heal and have been tried and tested successfully in the laboratory of human experience in numerous cultures worldwide. Observations for generations have produced a strong understanding of how herbal remedies affect the body as a whole. When correctly used according to traditional healing practices, herbal remedies facilitate real healing.
Herbs contain hundreds and even thousands of compounds including: minerals, vitamins, and nutritional co-factors that work synergistically to balance the body. These natural compounds found in the plants promote tissue repair, helping the body to heal and return to normal function.
The vibrational forces or frequencies of herbs resonate with our organs, tissues, and systems. They can rebuild, purge, defend and stabilize. Every major energy movement in the body has some herbal plant that mimics or counters it. Some are even used for their effects on our spiritual and mental states.
Symptomatic relief is not the same as effecting real healing and creating real health. Herbs are remarkably free of side effects. These plants safely and effectively aid the body in eliminating sources of irritation. The most common “unwanted reactions” to herbs have to do with the tendency of the herbs to increase detoxification of the body, a situation many herbalists call a “healing crisis”. These include sinus drainage, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, rashes, and sometimes seizures. These reactions are common and none of them are life threatening.
Most spiritual traditions believe that an all-wise creator prepared the plant life to sustain mankind. The human body has evolved, along with the plants, and has adapted, making use of herbs to heal afflictions. Herbs, along with chiropractic adjustments and appropriate changes in diet and lifestyle, work to restore the body to normal function.
Medicinal properties of Pumpkins:
· The pulp has a laxative action, being useful in cases of dyspepsia and constipation. Regulates hormonal disorders and adolescent behavior, and has sedative properties for insomnia. It also helps in heart diseases, and regeneration, slowing down the aging process.
· Pumpkin seeds, raw, contain the strongest therapeutic effects; helping in eliminating intestinal parasites, cleaning blood vessels, adjusting cholesterol level and stimulating kidney activity.
· Pumpkin juice is used for high acidity and ulcers. Best if drunk three times a day, half an hour before meals.
· In external use, pumpkin is recommended for treating burns, inflammations and abscesses. It softens the skin and diminishes the inflammatory processes of mucous. In case of insect stinging, cataplasms of crushed pulps can be used. These cataplasms are changed daily until healing is complete.
Pumpkin or Squash – Sauce/Spread
Make the sauce/spread to put on a slice of fruit, grains, meat, vegetables, or as a dipping sauce.
Preparation: Cook pumpkin or squash whole in the oven at 350° for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on size. When cooled enough to handle, cut in half and remove seeds and skin. Add sea salt and herbs or spices of choice to make it savory or sweet. Simmer on low heat to combine flavors 5- 10 minutes, if desired.
Additional ideas for thickening: cooked lentils, flaxseed powder, bread crumbs, arrowroot or whole wheat flour.
Savory herbs – garlic, oregano, rosemary, sage, etc.
Sweet spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice (this spice comes from the berry of a tropical evergreen tree and gets its name because the flavor of the dried berry resembles a combination of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg.)
Medicinal Herbs- (these all can be used as teas, tinctures, compresses, or cooked to obtain the benefits of the herb)
Goldenseal root
Licorice root
Echinacea
Comfrey root & leaves
Mints
Eucalyptus
Cleary sage
White thyme
Basil
Bowel-
• To make the bowel move:
Foods- Cabbage, onions, peas, beans, and fruits: apples & plums
Herbs- Slippery Elm, senna, fennel, rhubarb, peppermint
• Clean the bowel:
Foods- Apples, cabbage & onion soup, leafy greens
Herbs- Licorice
• Foods that congest the bowel:
Sugar, diary, refined foods (white flour), grease
• Relieve gas:
Foods- Beans (soaked over night, cooked well in fresh water),
Herbs- Fennel, basil, ginger
Liver-
To build the liver: Greens, carrots
To detoxify: Onions, parsley (a blood purifier)
Lungs-
To build: Carrots
Kidneys-
To strengthen: Azuki beans
Symptoms-
Sore Throat – gargle with warm salt water, clean bowel
Eyes – Eyebright herb
Clear congestion-Essential oils: Mints & Eucalyptus
Diarrhea- Brown rice, bananas, applesauce, and carob
Blueberry leaf & black teas
Muscle aches & sprains- Arnica & Peppermint oil
Broken bones- Comfrey root & leaves
Hyperactivity- Eliminate all junk food, refined and artificial sugars from the diet.
Beneficial properties of foods and herbs April 04
• Root vegetables – beets, radishes, onions, and carrots will improve digestion by increasing absorption and assimilation.
• Berries – cranberries, raspberries, and blueberries have anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. They also help with digestive disorders.
• Turmeric, a rhizome, a member of the ginger family, an ingredient in curry, is used in hot climates for insect bites and parasites. It cleanses liver toxicity, psoriasis and is an anti-inflammatory.
• Paprika, Cayenne, Chili powder – All peppers are high in Vitamin A and C. Cayenne is a bacteria-deterrent and anti-oxidant and is unequalled for warding off diseases and equalizing blood circulation.
• Celery seed is an acid neutralizer, has a calming effect on muscles and nerves helping depression, anxiety and sleeplessness, reduces high blood pressure, and the pain of arthritis. It strengthens the muscles in the uterus.
• Cumin is helpful for skin conditions, allergies, and asthma.
The journey of natural healing is a process to strengthen us to wellness. The many physical symptoms (mucus, rash, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, seizures, etc.) may push you and your child to the limit. We worry and wonder if we’ll get through it. The good news is that these symptoms are the body’s way of showing that the power of the body is becoming stronger. It has the ability to cleanse naturally, which allows the power that created the body to heal the body.
Your love, patience and intuition will see you through these trying times and give you the courage to stay on the natural path. Let’s look at the symptoms that may take weeks to overcome and ways to comfort your child.
Mucus – nose, eyes, ears, throat, lungs. The tissue in the mouth is the same throughout the digestive tract continuing to the rectum. That is why we recommend cleaning the bowel first whenever there is mucus building up. Cleaning the bowel can be done with cabbage soup or herbal bowel cleansers. Essential oils need to be diluted with olive oil for children: peppermint, eucalyptus, tea tree, wintergreen. Usage: rub on the soles of the feet for the general body, inhale to open stopped up nasal passages, as a chest rub to relieve tightness in the chest, rub around the ear for earaches. (We do not recommend putting anything inside the ear.)
Rash – The largest organ of our body is our skin. We have observed many times that as the body builds up enough strength to release the toxins, a rash breaks out. It looks scary and your child may feel as if he itches all over. Choose natural, soft fibers such as cotton clothing to keep from irritating the rash further. Salt baths are soothing and help bring the toxins out quicker. Oatmeal baths can relieve the itching. Herbs such as lavender and chickweed are also beneficial.
Diarrhea and vomiting – It is important to re-hydrate the body while this is going on with lots of pure water. Replace minerals with salt baths, root vegetables, fresh fruit in a gelatin made with agar agar/Kanten flakes (sea weed) or hearty stock made from stewed whole clean chickens (free range, without antibiotics, hormones, or vaccines, etc.).
Fever – If the body cannot eliminate the toxins through its orifices, it will then burn them with a fever and a malaise may result. Feverfew, mint, and rosemary teas help reduce fever. To cool a high fever use wet cloth on the forehead or a tepid salt bath. Bundle the child up if chilled. An enema can bring down a high fever and quickly re-hydrate the body.
Seizures – This word alone brings fear to parents. At Oklahaven, we see seizures as a surge or reset – along the lines of a surge on a computer. Many parents have told us that if the child works through the seizures naturally, the child may sleep deeply is more alert afterward and able to move to the next level or milestone of development.
Chemicals fight the body’s attempt to reset and leave the child lethargic.
Your child’s immune system can grow and develop properly if the body is allowed to work through these periods of detoxifying. If the symptoms are suppressed with chemicals, it will make the body’s work harder next month with a higher fever or later in life with a more devastating dis-ease such as an auto-immune illness. At the end, your child’s body will have more life force to be healthier, stronger and less vulnerable next time.
How to help improve the body’s ability to detox
• Chiropractic Adjustments – gives the body more power to eliminate toxins quicker.
• Greens – leafy greens and green vegetables. Leafy greens include kale, mustard greens, spinach, Swiss chard, turnip greens, beet greens, lettuces, cabbage, watercress, and can be part of every meal of the day. Green vegetables like cucumbers, zucchini, bell peppers and celery can be on hand to snack on while others such as asparagus, okra, broccoli, green beans etc. will need to be prepared.
• Breathing Exercises are also an excellent way to rid the body of toxins. Stop, relax, look at the sky and concentrate on your breath. Breathe deeply (the abdomen should rise and fall) for 20 minutes 2-3 times a day.
Herb of the Month – Catnip – It helps relieve aches and pain, upset stomach and diarrhea associated with the flu.
“You are having an allergic reaction – whether you are eating too much sugar or breathing in too many toxins.” Dr. Bobby Doscher
Are you or your children dealing with spring allergies? Grab a tissue and take note… it’s all a part of the natural process!
In the fall and spring nature does house cleaning. In the fall we see the trees turn beautiful colors and drop their leaves so that they can rest during the winter and grow. The old Chiropractors used to say “As one tree say to another, I hope you don’t get this, as they shed their leaves?” In the spring the renewal of life is apparent as buds and flowers burst open and green reappears.
Allergy, the term most of us use for this discharge, is a natural process of the body getting rid of what it does not need. Our bodies have similar cycles of cleansing that can manifest as congestion, allergies, sore throats, burning fever, and flu symptoms.
In the fall our bodies discharge in order to prepare for colder temperatures. We begin eating a heavier diet to help keep us warm and energized for the winter. In the spring, our bodies discharge in order to begin our cycle of renewal and rid the body of stored fats no longer needed to heat the body when the weather gets warmer. If we will allow these seasonal processes to happen, help them along with chiropractic, whole foods and exercise, our bodies can strengthen in each season.
Flus are usually the body has been toxified – the body creates lots of mucus.
Our “quick fix” society tries to halt the symptoms of this cleansing process we call allergies. In suppressing this process, the symptoms become progressively worse over the years, going deeper into the body and shutting down the healing energy that brings about this cleansing process.
Here are some natural ways to help our body spring clean without dulling the healing force:
• Chiropractic—Increases the healing energy and helps eliminate toxins from the body through its natural processes.
• Food Choices—Lighter grains, more greens, and eating seasonal locally grown foods
Take time and enjoy seeing this new life as it appears. Pick the berries, smell the flowers or draw a picture of your favorite view. Allow your body the time it needs to cleanse itself as the seasons change.
As we watch children we will often see that they respond to the healing forces within themselves in ways that we, as adults, have forgotten. What signs of spring do your children remind you of? Let them know you appreciate their view of the world around them.
Urine consists of water and dissolved waste material from what you have been drinking and eating. It also includes dead blood cells and other material the body wants to eliminate.
The kidneys process the blood plasma, allowing water, sugars, vitamins, amino acids and other vital substances back into the bloodstream. They eliminate excess water, salts and minerals, as well as urea from protein digestion, uric acid, creatinine from muscle breakdown, hormone waste and toxins. Also eliminated is urochrome, which is a yellow pigment that comes from the processing of dead blood cells in the liver. The urochrome gives the urine a pale yellow color, which is its normal color.
The color of your urine may determine the state of your health. Your kidneys process liquids from what you have been eating and drinking, and the resulting urine consists of water and dissolved waste material. Certain colors of your urine can indicate problems, diseases or imbalances in your diet.
Since the normal color of urine is pale yellow, variations can be an indication of health problems or be the result of certain foods that have been eaten.
• Clear urine – If a person has been drinking an excess of water or diuretics such as coffee or beer, the urine may have little or no color. Typically, it is nothing to worry about if it happens occasionally.
• Cloudy, murky, turbid, muddy or rusty urine – characteristic of a urinary tract infection or bladder infection, which may also have an offensive smell.
• Murky urine – caused by bacteria, mucus, white blood cells or red blood cells, epithelial cells, fat, or phosphates.
• Brown urine – can be an indication of a serious condition. It could be caused by liver disease, hepatitis, melanoma cancer, or copper poisoning. Other symptoms from those ailments should also be considered as indicators. But note that if you had recently eaten fava beans or taken a laxative, your urine also could turn brown.
• Pink, or red, or smoky brown urine – may be caused by a medication or consuming beets, blackberries, rhubarb, or certain food
colorings. Red urine may indicate lead or mercury poisoning. Pink, red, or smoky brown urine is also signs of a urinary tract disorder such as cystitis, enlarged prostate, kidney cancer, bladder tumor, tuberculosis, kidney stones, kidney infection, or a trauma to your kidneys or urinary tract.
• Dark yellow urine – can be caused by laxatives Excess sweating could result in the urine becoming a deeper yellow. Also, it is a sign that you have not been drinking enough liquids. Liver problems or jaundice can cause the urine to become consistently a dark yellow color.
• Orange urine- may be caused by B complex vitamins or eating too many carrots–like from a juicer. Also, too much Vitamin C can turn the urine orange.
• Blue urine- can be caused by a psuedomonas bacterial infection. It can also be an indication of high levels of calcium.
• Green urine – may indicate a urinary tract infection, bile problems and certain drugs. A brighter green color is an indication of an excess of B vitamins.
• Some foods, vitamin supplements and medications may cause smelly urine.
• Foul smelling urine may be caused by bacteria, a common sign of a urinary tract or bladder infection.
• Sweet smelling urine is a sign of diabetes or a rare disease of metabolism.
• Musty smelling urine may be a sign of liver disease and certain metabolic disorders.
• Ammonia smell is concentrated urine due to dehydration.
• Burned caramel smell is a sign of a very rare life-threatening inherited maple syrup urine disease.
• Certain foods and medicines, including vitamins, may affect your urine’s odor, asparagus causes a characteristic odor.
• Bubbles in urine can be caused by the presence of excess protein in urine or it may also be something as simple as a forceful flow of urine that could make a foamy type of appearance due to excess trapping of air in urine as it contacts water.
• Frothy urine is usually also caused by protein in urine. Proteinuria or protein in urine can be caused by a number of causes. A common cause is infection anywhere along the urinary tract. Also, after strenuous exercise or while we are ill, the quantity of proteins may increase. Changes in the size of filters in the kidneys or by illness that damaged the kidney, lead to increase in excretion of proteins. Some medications that may damage the kidney or genetically inherited abnormalities interfere with proper functioning of kidneys.
The sad consequences of quick fixes are now showing in our teens. Many of today’s adolescents are malnourished, tired, toxic, and neurologically disorganized. Their visual, auditory and tactile perception is erratic, wavering between extremes of dull and hyper. Frustrated and depressed, they are losing their spiritual well-being. These marginal teens lack the tools to organize the direction and pace of their lives. It’s a rare moment when they are able to initiate ideas. Because of this, the usual academic and social pressures of maturing into adulthood are having a far deeper impact on their lives. They lack for inner peace.
We have seen several teenagers who came to our center very sick, lethargic, with a wide variety of complaints: headaches, sleeplessness, stomach cramps, ulcers, extreme weight gain or loss, poor attention, dizziness, numbness in limbs, constipation, neck ache, migraines, asthma, skin rashes, dulled reflexes, blank eyes, no energy, tight muscles, constipated, bloated, pallor, with arthritic pain. Their grumpiness can lead to belligerence. The light has gone from their eyes–all symptoms of the toxins within.
First we explain the journey of natural health care and its responsibility. They learn about the importance of avoiding dairy products, heavy breaded fried foods, white flour, sugar– natural, artificial or “sugar-free,” chemically adulterated meats and microwaving. We recommend regular exercise in fresh air and sunshine. Then we guide them as their body detoxifies. They may experience some dis-comfort, however with adjustments and dietary changes over time these young teens win back control over their lives.
Their diet includes pure water, fresh fruits and vegetables–especially root vegetables to compliment greens, beans, whole grains, seeds and nuts vital for whole body function. The roots are carrots, parsnips, rutabagas, turnips, radishes and burdock to help clean by empowering the liver and digestive tract to heal. Grown underground, roots nourish the fleshy, leafy parts of the plant by absorbing soil nutrients. In our human body this similar energetic action is replicated in our small and large intestines with solid food and in our lungs with gaseous food–oxygen. Root vegetable energies also support the liver that cleans toxins from the body that in turn strengthens our eyes. Here is a favorite way to build your roots!
We need your help! This Valentine’s week, February 9th through 16th, 2008, the chiropractic profession and students are opening their hearts to the children through Oklahaven’s “Have-a-Heart” campaign. The campaign shows that children are more than a diagnosis. They can get well.
It is the message of hope, the power of chiropractic! The premise of chiropractic is that an innate intelligence resides within us all. It is the basis of all life and is so beautifully expressed in the recuperative powers of a child.
We love our children even if they are not always in the same consciousness with us. Regardless, they are Soul, a spark of God. We love them so much; we are committed to helping them to heal and to become the person they were meant to be, and able to give back to life. We are richer for our calling!
Valentine’s Day is the sharing of love. Love gives life to everything in creation and this is the fabric that holds all life together. Love starts first in the center of the heart and slowly moves outward, destroying all in its path like a slow, consuming fire. Nothing can stop love. Even when quenched, it will break out somewhere else. With love we learn to serve more. Divine love comes through human love- the awakened heart, the key to freedom and truth. The original St. Valentine believed in this love of God and may have died for sharing this belief.
Oklahaven parents have demonstrated this mystery of life on their journey to find health for their child. We are learning this mystery of love through our children. As we learn to live this great secret of life, take time to feel it. We are called to be different, like the martyrs of the past and we know it!
This wonderful tradition of Valentine’s Day gives us the opportunity to express our love and our gratitude. By our stories we are educating and encouraging other parents. When we share our stories with someone waiting for consolation or motivation it defies the odds, nothing will be able to stop the miracles! This gratitude and sharing is the opening of the heart, the power of love – the slow-burning love of God — the wisdom of the heart!
Miracles happen — not only for them, but for us as well! We become the modern-day Valentines!
“A Candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.” Father James Keller (1900-1977)
When Oklahaven’s Parent Support Group met earlier this year, we acknowledged our common fears and found support to help us meet our fears and to conquer them. Board member, Sue Moore from Dale Carnegie helped us refine our personal stories so that we could tell them to others in a more powerful way.
This was such an encouraging time! We learned that we could only share our own personal stories. That is, where our child was and how chiropractic had changed his life. We knew how hard we had worked and we still had a long ways to go. We had all encountered some negative comments, but we learned to say, “yes, but this is what I saw,” and to repeat our stories positively again and with confidence no matter the objections.
It’s very important for us to realize that we are the parents, not chiropractors, and we don’t have to explain chiropractic; only the positive changes that we saw in our children. Our homework was to refine our stories and keep telling them.
You have a great deal to share! Sharing the triumphs that you and your child have experienced through a natural lifestyle can be a wonderful gift. You can become the greatest philanthropist of all time without giving away a dime.
Your knowledge will bring encouragement. As you share your story, you offer hope of a brighter future to struggling children and searching parents.
This holiday season, just as the candle stands tall and bright and gives light to another candle without being diminished, the light of natural healthcare shines more powerfully as we continue to spread our message of hope and healing to others.
“You never know how far reaching what you say or do today will affect the lives of millions tomorrow.”
~ B.J. Palmer, D.C., Ph. C. (Developer of Chiropractic)
Think back – was there a special person who took that time with you — someone you’ve never forgotten? I am continually grateful to the person who told me about chiropractic.
Make a real difference this season and share the gift of health with others!
The greatest gift that you can give yourself is an attitude of gratitude.
“A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.” Father James Keller (1900-1977)
This holiday season, just as the candle stands tall and bright and gives light to another candle without being diminished, the light of natural healthcare shines more powerfully as we continue to spread our message of hope and healing to others.
As the year draws end, with a grateful heart, take five minutes to reflect. Do you feel freer, taking back your power and committing to a natural lifestyle for you and your family?
You are an example to others bringing a spark of hope and a new awareness.
Your attitude of gratitude for the small changes in your health fuels the journey to keep it moving forward. We encourage you to share your improvements in the greetings you send to others this holiday season.
As “Oklahaven” Children’s Chiropractic Center celebrates our 55th Anniversary, we have told our story to many over the years from health fairs, lectures, seminars, civic organizations and parent groups. What we’ve learned from their questions and comments are:
• The knowledge of how a profoundly hurt child can be returned to health was shocking;
• They quested to know more about a natural drug free life and the recuperative power of the body; and
• They were fascinated that health was not the absence of dis-ease, but the life force, the body’s ability to balance, heal and reach its optimal potential.
This awareness showed the importance of the chiropractic lifestyle.
This is such an encouraging time! As more people embrace the natural lifestyle and share their own personal stories how natural healing changed their lives. Many tried to discourage or persuade you to abandon your journey but you remained committed to the responsibility of health and believing in the greater force of life – the gift of life. Your determination and strong sense of gratitude brought about a more abundant life.
Your knowledge will bring encouragement. As you share your story, you offer hope of a brighter future to struggling children and searching parents.
The gift of health needs to be given – make a real difference this season and share the gift of natural health with others! Brighten one other person’s darkness by taking the time to share your story. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this generation of children could understand the power within their bodies so they can maintain health throughout their entire life?
Think back – was there a special person who took that time with you – someone you’ve never forgotten? I am continually grateful to the person who told me about chiropractic.
Be the Candle… Just as the candle stands tall and bright and gives light to another candle without being diminished, the world needs your story! A candle gives light to another candle without itself being diminished, then shines more powerfully as
we continue to spread our message of hope and healing to the children.
“You never know how far reaching what you say or do today will affect the lives of millions tomorrow.” ~ Dr. B.J. Palmer, (Developer of Chiropractic)
Valentine’s Day is all about love. St. Valentine probably died for sharing the power of God’s great love! But what is God’s Love? It’s still as much a mystery today as it was in the 1600s. However, it’s so important that we continue to share this mystery of love with those who are dear to us.
As the parents in our Parents Support Group, you are like the martyrs of the past and you know it! You have given that mystery of love to your children. We love our children even if they are not always in the same consciousness with us. Regardless, we still love them very much. We love them so much that we’re committed to helping them to develop and become the person they were meant to be! We are richer for our calling because we have learned to live the great secret of life — LOVE.
During this Valentines week, February 12 to 17th, 2007, the chiropractic students and profession are opening their hearts to the children all over the world through Oklahaven’s “Have-a-Heart” campaign. This gives other parents the opportunity to see our video, learn that children are more than a disease and that they do get well.
This year Oklahaven celebrates its 45th Anniversary. We are committed to share the message of the power of chiropractic, that innate intelligence that is within us all and all life exists just because of it. This premise is so beautifully expressed in the recuperative powers of a child. When you share your story of your journey with someone waiting for consolation and motivation to also defy the odds and make changes that seem impossible, a miracle happens — not only for them but for you as well! You become the modern-day valentine.
Remember, that you are a modern day Valentine this month. Consciously do one act of kindness for another without asking anything in return and see how your life grows! That’s the power of love.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Love has the power of expansiveness, for love is the vital element and the natural capacity of the human being.
We need your help! This Valentine’s week, February 8th through 14th, 2010, the chiropractic profession and students are opening their hearts to the children through Oklahaven’s “Have-a-Heart” campaign. The campaign raises consciousness world wide to the idea that children are more than a diagnosis. They can and do regain their health.
It is the message of hope and love, the power of chiropractic! The premise of chiropractic is that an innate intelligence resides within us all. It is the basis of all life and is so beautifully expressed in the recuperative powers of a child.
The tender, gentle love a mother brings to her child is the human element of the life force. A mother’s love is the most important; it is the foundation for all a mother does and all her child can become. It is one of the child’s first ways to mirror God’s love.
The original St. Valentine believed in the love of God and may have died for sharing this belief. Valentine’s Day, named in his honor, is about the sharing of love. Love gives life to everything in creation and is the fabric that holds all life together. Love starts first in the center of the heart and slowly moves outward like a slow, consuming fire. Nothing can stop love. Even when quenched, it will break out somewhere else. Divine love comes through human love, which teaches us to serve more. Love awakens the heart, removes fear, and provides the key to freedom and truth.
It takes a tremendous leap of faith to bring a child into the world and is an expression of hope, possibility and joy for the here and now. The struggles of our children on their journey to health teach us many lessons, but loving our child no matter what the circumstance is the greatest. A mother’s love is diligent and patient, and it is vital for a healthy child. Motherhood is the greatest of all professions!
Parent Support Group Meeting
Traditions or family rituals do impact us all, and although holidays bring them to mind, everyday rituals are just as significant and one of the greatest gifts you can give.
Many stories were shared at our January 2001 meeting as we discussed the importance of family rituals. We talked about rituals that take place daily, weekly, monthly, as well as the special ones that happen at holidays. The rituals that we perform daily can be even more important to our emotional well being than those that happen on special occasions.
The ritual of hellos and goodbyes are special to our children. Even adults like to be acknowledged in a consistent way when coming and going; however with children, it can be extremely important. One family had a specific sequence in which the hugs and kisses were to be given – first to the child, then to mom, then to dad, etc. The child was very aware if the sequence got rearranged. Another family suggested that the husband and wife practice their greeting to bring themselves into sync with one another. This gives a feeling of balance to the rest of the family.
Other important daily rituals are waking time and bedtime; both can be stressful when children and school are involved. We discussed the importance of waking with the sunlight and a glass of water. We are a part of the universe and the energy renews in us as the sun reaches us. One of our parents remembers her Grandmother coming into her room and pulling back the curtains and having her say “Good morning world!” When you start the day with a glass of water the body’s digestive system gets a kick start. We also felt that waking to delicious smells is comforting. In the evening as the children are trying to relax, have them create their own stories and use their imaginations instead of just reading a book. Children also often enjoy listening to stories about themselves.
Food is a vital part of every day, but it has become less of a time for ritual and more rushed than ever before. Plan the meals so that everyone can attend and find a way to make it special. One Mother told us that they light candles whenever possible, because that keeps her daughter at the table longer, then she can blow them out.
Involving the children in the planning and preparation as well as the cleanup helps make them feel apart and also gives them more interest in eating the meal. Table conversation should be positive about the day’s events, allowing everyone to share how the different events of the day made them feel or what they learned through the experience.
Negative comments about what or how much they are eating does not provide an atmosphere of love and comfort that should accompany mealtime. Be a good role model and keep providing variety and opportunity to try new foods and retry foods they think they don’t like. A statement such as “I can tell you weren’t very hungry” is all that needs to be said. Children know what they are hungry for, and when given a healthy choice will take what they need, but expressing it to us clearly may be difficult.
That is all there is, change. Rituals are to open our senses to love, not to worship.
Do you have rituals that take place in your family on a regular basis? Please take a moment to think about some of these and make a conscious effort to keep them special. It is not necessarily the thing that is done; it is the interaction of the people involved.
“All the darkness of the world cannot put out the light of one small candle.” ~~Anonymous
History
Since as early as 3000 BC, candles or similar illuminating devices (torches, fire baskets, etc.) have played a vital role in providing light past normal daylight hours for necessary work and livelihood alike. From adornment to playing essential roles in religious ceremonies to functional lighting and even time keeping (candles marked with 12 lines—one for each hour—burned steadily to record work shifts in coal mines) candles have been a part of every culture’s history! Beeswax was one of the first ingredients used for making candles. Beeswax was costly, which greatly limited its use and availability. It was soon reserved for the wealthy and the Church.
Benefits of Beeswax
Enhance your atmosphere and well-being with the vibrational energy of the bees. Studies have shown that the burning of beeswax stimulates the pituitary gland, increasing intuition, creativity, and heightening dream activity! The spectrum of light emitted when burning a beeswax candle is identical to that of sunlight. Pure beeswax candles help rid the home and environment of toxins by emitting negatively charged ions as well as burning away positively charged particles that float toward the burning halo flame. This process cleans the air of positive ions such as dust, odors, toxins, pollen, mold, dust mites feces, and viruses.
Beeswax candles burn longer and cleaner than ordinary wax candles and have the highest melting point of any known wax. It is also a renewable resource.
Beeswax
Pure beeswax is made from the nectar of flowers and one of nature’s most perfect products! The honeybees produce beeswax from wax glands on the sides of their body and use it to create “cells” in which to store their honey. When first made, it is white and odorless. During storage in the honeycomb, the wax absorbs its fragrance and color from pollen, honey, and a brownish resinous material of waxy consistency called propolis. Propolis is collected by bees from the buds of trees and used as a cement. Beeswax color will range from white to yellow or creamy tan. The type of plant from which the honeybee harvests pollen determines the fragrance and color of the beeswax. Lighter beeswax comes from blossoms. Darker beeswax is produced from plants such as eucalyptus and avocado. Each batch of wax has its own unique honey-like fragrance and color. “Bloom” is the whitish deposit that forms on high quality 100% beeswax candles over time. It is the action of the natural minerals rising to the candle surface. The bloom may be wiped off with a lint free cloth or carefully warm the area for a few seconds with a hair dryer or it can be left to give the candle an antique appeal.
The light of natural healthcare shines more powerfully as you share your story with another person. You will bring hope to their world and brighten their darkness. This holiday season, just as the candle stands tall and bright and gives light to another candle without being diminished, the world needs your story!
We welcome Spring with rituals that remind us of the renewing of the earth. The seasons of the year are good examples of this. We observe how the trees discharge their leaves in the fall and new growth occurs in the spring. Our bodies use the fruits and herbs to help us cleanse and renew. These cycles help us become aware of how life is constantly cycling and we are a part of the earth.
Eggs represent a new life. Coloring eggs has been a part of spring celebrations since medieval times. Dyeing eggs with natural mediums offer opportunities for experimentation and discovery. Peak your child’s curiosity for tasting new foods and herbs by exploring natural egg dyes. Each has dietary and medicinal benefits in addition to the beautiful colors they produce; helping our bodies cycle through the natural detoxifying that coincides with the changes of the seasons in order to renew and rejuvenate.
| Food | Natural Dye Color | Medicinal properties of the foods and herbs |
Berries
|
Pinks Purplish red Blues |
|
| Turmeric | Yellow |
|
| Cayenne, Paprika, Chili Powder | Orange to brown |
|
| Celery Seed | Pale yellow |
|
| Cumin | Pale yellow |
|
| Red Cabbage | Blue |
|
| Parsley, Spinach Leaves | Pale Green |
|
| walnuts (pellicle – the brown skin) | Light brown |
|
| Strong coffee, tea | Light brown |
|
Root Vegetables
|
Purplish red Pink Yellow (onion skins) Pale Yellow |
|
Hints before beginning:
NATURAL FOOD DYE RECIPE – Boiled method (makes 4 cups)
Choose herb or foodstuff; mix with water and vinegar. Bring to a boil. When color emerges, add eggs and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Eggs are colored and cooked at the same time. The heat allows the dye to saturate the shells, for intense, uniform colors. Remove eggs with spoon, pat with paper towels, and dry on a wire rack.
Suggestions:
Enjoy Spring! Find time to gather your family to celebrate the arrival of spring, earth’s renewal and acknowledge the blossoming of your children and yourself. Look back to see where you were last spring. What have you learned?
Everything that has lived or is living now has a life energy force within its molecular makeup. Herbs have specific energy forces of the same nature as found in tissues and organs of the human body. They can be used to restore man’s body, season by season. The archetypes of organs contain the blue prints needed to restore the lost information that the body requires to reconstruct. Herbs are here to assist the body in its struggle in this earth world. They stimulate and throw off toxic wastes that build up through metabolism. When the body is relaxed, nature takes over and rebuilds.
Herbs supply food materials, tonics, laxatives, astringents stimulants, sedatives, diuretics, stone dissolvent, and every element needed to balance the body chemistry and overcome “dis-ease.” They do not cure in the same sense that antibodies or allopathic medicines do by killing germs, or destroying toxic poisons in the body. Herbs can assist the body by stimulating its resistance to attach upon its tissue.
Most of what is known regarding herbs is from experience, trial and error. Wandering tribes were most knowledgeable in herbs and depended upon them and handed, down from generation to generation, information about tonics, sedatives, aromatics, laxatives and purgatives.
A plant is classified as an herb when it has a soft succulent stem that dies to the root every year. Man discovered herbs as he foraged among the plant world, eating, tasting, and observing his reactions. He used herbs as a medicine, scent or seasoning.
Along the way, he discovered herbal plants combine to influence the taste of other foods, whether they are of vegetable or animal quality. He began to select certain plants not only for their taste but also their healing effects on his digestion and general health. By studying their effects he designated them into groupings by use. Some plants appear in several categories.
Culinary or kitchen herbs can also be medicinal and a few are also important aromatics used for scent. Roses, like a few plants, have multiple uses. In the Middle Ages, they were made into rose water to flavor desserts and their flower petals were brewed for tea. The scent of roses stimulates a sense of well being, making them an important base for perfumes and dried potpourri.
Rose oil is cherished for rebalancing and harmonizing the cells of the body. It revitalizes and rejuvenates the skin and also has been used to prevent hemorrhaging, scarring, and infection.
The fleshy fruit of the wild rose is a rich source of anti-oxidant and Vitamin C, especially in Europe. Traditionally rose hips are harvested and cooked down into a reddish jam or dried and brewed as a healing tea for colds and chest congestion.
The uses of herbs are varied and specific. Within a category like medicinal, they are classified according to properties. For example, among the medicinal plants are astringent herbs that contract the body’s tissues. There are other herbs for diuretic purposes, to open the kidneys to release fluid. Herbs can rebuild and purge, defend and stabilize. Every major energy movement in the body has some herbal plant that mimics or counters it. Others are used for their effects on our spiritual and mental states. Herbs have been used as dyes or colorings for foods and artists’ paints and inks for thousands of years.
We grow common household herbs to accent the flavor of our food without realizing their beneficial digestive and immune effects. Yet basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, tarragon, and peppermint are also antispasmodic, antiviral, antibacterial, antiseptic, antifungal, and can act to tenderize and sanitize the foods they are cooked in. Use fresh herbs cooked into foods whenever possible.
Common Herbs
Basil
Dill
Rosemary
Mint
Cilantro
Pepper — red, white & black
Marjoram
Nutmeg
Garlic — grated fresh cloves
Ginger fresh squeezed and or dried
Cumin
Onions
Oregano
Parsley
Sage
Savory
Thyme
Caraway
Clove
Bay leaf
Chervil
Chives
Fennel
Tarragon
Lemon balm
Cayenne pepper
Anise
Cinnamon
Celery seed
Coriander
Nutmeg
Mace
Allspice
Lovage
Borage
Garlic Chives
Angelica
Hyssop
Lavender
Lemongrass
Lemon Verbena
Fenugreek
Catnip
Parts Used: The herb
Catnip has been called nature’s “Alka-Seltzer”. The Indians used it for infant colic, but it also has a sedative effect on the nervous system. It is useful for many ailments: for all cases of fevers for its action in inducing sleep and in producing perspiration without increasing heat in the body. In children it is said to speedily overcome convulsions. It is also good for restlessness, colic and as a painkiller, especially for small children and infants. It has been known to help prevent a cold when drinking a warm infusion at the first sign of the symptoms. It helps in fatigue and improves circulation. It is said to help prevent miscarriages and premature births. It helps in aches and pain due to flu, upset stomach and diarrhea associated with the flu.
Chamomile
Parts used: Flower
Chamomile is one of the best herbs to keep handy for emergencies, for it is both beneficial and trustworthy. It is a welcome tea for nerves and menstrual cramps. Chamomile helps promote a natural hormone, like thyroxine, which helps rejuvenate the texture of the hair and skin, and also helps in youthful mental alertness. It is useful for small babies and children for colds, stomach trouble, colitis, a gargle and externally for eczema and inflammation. It is one of the best herbs for soothing an upset stomach and colic in babies and for inducing sleep.
Cilantro
Parts Used: Leaves
Cilantro is an earthy herb from the fresh leaves of the coriander plant (Coriandrum sativum). It has been grown since the 6th century B.C. in Babylon and in ancient China they believed that it could bring immortality. Also known as Chinese parsley and Mexican parsley, because it is a member of the parsley family. The leaves are similar in shape to flat-leaf parsley, growing on long, tender stems. The seeds of the plant are used to make coriander spice, which has a completely different flavor from cilantro. “Cilantro” and “coriander” are not interchangeable in recipes. It helps with balance, protection and increases endurance while even improving cognitive ability. It has the ability to bind harmful metals from bodily tissues and helps eliminate them.
Echinacea
Parts Used: flowers, leaves and roots
This herb was introduced into the U.S. medical practice in the late 1800’s. Millions of people have used it during the cold winter months to support their immune system. It is thought to help stimulate white blood cell production that activates the body’s defenses.
Golden Seal
Parts used: Rhizome and Root
Pregnant women should not use it.
Golden Seal has been recommended as a way of boosting a sluggish glandular system and promoting youthful hormone harmony. The action of the herb goes directly into the bloodstream and helps regulate the liver functions. It has a natural antibiotic ability to stop infection and kill poisons in the body. Golden Seal can be used for many illnesses. Golden Seal is valuable for catarrhal conditions either in the nasal area, bronchial tubes, throat, intestines, stomach and bladder. It has the ability to heal mucous membranes anywhere in the body. It ranks high as one of the best general medicinal aids in the herbal kingdom. When taken with other herbs it increases the tonic properties for whatever ailment is being treated. If a person has low blood sugar, substitute myrrh instead of Golden Seal.
Hawthorne
Parts Used: Berries
Hawthorne berries have been known for centuries for their heart strengthening abilities.
Lady’s Slipper
Parts used: Root
Lady’s Slipper acts as a tonic for the exhausted nervous system. It has a calming effect on the body and mind. It is said to be the most excellent and safest nervine in the plant kingdom. It can be used for weakly and nervous children, especially for symptoms of twitching muscles. Its action is slow, yet it works on the entire nervous system. It is an excellent pain reliever. It acts primarily on the medulla, helping to regulate breathing, sweating, saliva and heart functions.
Lavender
Parts Used: Flowers
Use around the house to freshen the air, bedding, closets, etc. as it provides the following benefits: Stimulates the nervous system restoring vitality. Relaxes the mind and body. Great for anxiety, nervousness, and physical symptoms caused by stress. Hot lavender tea is beneficial for: colds, coughs, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, flu, vomiting, diarrhea, tonsillitis, laryngitis, stomach, and bowel infections. Use the tea to reduce fevers and help the body eliminate toxins via the skin and sweating, and with mild diuretic action, through the urine. A warm compress will relieve chest congestion, and help with bruises and insect bites.
Lemon Grass
Parts Used: Leaves
Lemon Grass has a mild effect, which makes it very useful for infants and children’s diseases. It has been used as an anti-fever tea for colds and flu. It has an astringent or tightening action on the tissues of the body, which helps to stop or slow discharge from mucous membranes.
Licorice
Parts used: Root
Licorice is a source of the female hormone estrogen. It is a very important herb for female complaints. Licorice works as a stimulant on the adrenal glands. It contains glycosides, which can chemically purge excess fluid from the lungs, throat and body. It is well known for coughs and chest complaints. It is an important herb when recovering from illness, for it will supply necessary energy to the system. It works as a laxative and helps in inflammation of the intestinal tract and relieves ulcer conditions. It has a stimulating action and helps counteract stress.
Mullein
Mullein has a long history of use in the U.S. It was used by the Native Americans for lung problems and reportedly was also used during the Civil War for respiratory complaints. This trusted herb is often recommended by herbalists to help clear the air passages and promote free, clear breathing from the top of the sinuses to the bottom of the lungs.
Myrrh
Parts used: Resin
Myrrh is a powerful antiseptic on the mucous membranes. It has been said that Myrrh is a remedy second only to Echinacea. It is valuable as a cleansing and healing agent to the stomach and colon for it helps soothe inflammation and speeds the healing process. The essential oils contain antiseptic properties and when used as tincture mixed with water it is excellent as a gargle for a sore throat. It has been used with golden seal to make a healing antiseptic salve. Myrrh gives vitality and strength to the digestive system. It helps in waste elimination.
Pau d’Arco
Pau d’Arco has been used by millions of South Americans as a remedy to safeguard their immune systems, and help the body clean the blood system. Pau d’Arco is thought to have anti-fungal properties, which may help with various skin disorders. Others have reported it also helps offset side effects of radiation and chemotherapy.
Turmeric
A member of the ginger family, enhances the flavor and color when used with orange vegetables. Turmeric eases indigestion, cleanses liver toxicity, is used for insect bites & parasites in hot climates, is helpful for psoriasis, is an excellent herb for preserving food’s freshness and is an anti-inflammatory.
Ginger Root
Fights off cold and flu; removes congestion, relieves sore throats, upset stomach, indigestion; relieves headaches, aches and pains; excellent for the respiratory system, bowel and kidney cleanser. Grate ginger on sliced fruit or as a tea.
A well newborn has an innate curiosity. Each new experience stimulates his senses right from the moment of birth. In the Eskimo culture, newborns were placed on the mother’s thigh. The baby crawled to the breast to nurse igniting the senses: touch, smell, taste, seeing and hearing. You see this same process in a litter of newborn puppies or kittens.
The goal of infants is to become self-reliant, and self-confident, learning as much as possible about their world. The degree of their curiosity is a measure of his intelligence.
A newborn, when placed on his stomach, should be able to push up, lift his head and move it from side to side and push with his big toe against a surface.
If the infant is not able to do these movements with ease or has an inability to properly move the tongue both in and out of the mouth and lateral movement it is an indication of subluxation of the cervical spine and improper alignment. Clipping of the tongue could be avoided with chiropractic adjustments. A visit to the chiropractor ensures that the nervous system is working properly and that the body is able to move freely, baby is able to nurse, bringing more energy and curiosity.
Lying on the tummy stimulates tactile awareness. If you notice, the lighter complexioned side of the body (stomach, arms, inner thighs which touch the ground in an army crawl) are yin and provide grounding. A baby lying alone on his stomach becomes more alert. He looks, listens, smells, and feels his separation from his mother as he begins his journey as a spiritual being. This is when intelligence is activated. He thinks he is alone. In an attempt to solve the problem, he calls out, moves forward and searches for his mother. This is the beginning of communication. With time, given the opportunity to move, he will crawl all over the house to satisfy his curiosity beginning the development of the cross pattern within the body. Then he reaches out to grab with one hand, then the other and then both hands.
As the baby crawls, sits and eventually creeps on hands and knees this natural progression organizes both sides of the human body. He should enjoy being on his tummy, capable of lifting his head and interacting with his environment. All of this can happen naturally, if the baby is subluxation free.
Transporting your Baby
Our lives are much more hectic than past generations and we appreciate the modern conveniences that make life a little easier. Yet, the ways that have been engineered to carry and transport our infants and young children do not create the organization within the body for intellectual curiosity.
Keeping in mind the importance of freedom of movement to baby’s physical and intellectual development, parents need to be conscious of the over-use of infant seats, walkers, jumpers, swings and vertical baby carriers (back and front packs) and the amount of time their infant is spending confined instead of exploring.
Honor your child’s innate curiosity and give him many opportunities for his body to develop properly by putting him on his tummy to experience, explore and receive the sensations and stimulation of all his senses.
Dear Parents,
I was raised around children and trained to baby-sit, so it was second nature, when I began my family in 1988, to place my newborn on his stomach for sleeping and playtime.
As the incidence of SIDS-related infant mortality rose in the nineties, mothers were then told to place their infants on their backs to sleep. Now, in the new millenium they are told to place them on their sides.
A well newborn should be able to push up, lift his head and move it from side to side. He also pushes with his big toe against a surface (toe dig). The Eskimo culture used to place a newborn on the mother’s thigh. This ignited the senses (touch, smell, taste, see and hear) as the baby crawled to the breast to nurse, just as you would see in any litter of newborn puppies or kittens.
Lying on one’s tummy stimulates tactile awareness. If you notice, the lighter complexioned side of the body–stomach, arms, inner thighs–are the areas that touch the ground in crawling (Army combat crawl) to move forward horizontally. When a baby is lying alone on his stomach, he becomes more alert. He looks, listens, smells, tastes and feels his separation from his mother and begins his journey as a spiritual being. The ancient bell is sounded in his infant consciousness and he thinks he is alone. This is when intelligence is activated. He calls out, moves forward and searches for his mother. He is communicating and trying to solve the problem. Given the opportunity to move at this age, that same baby, later on will crawl all over the house to satisfy his curiosity.
As he experiences this tactile sensation over and over again, he begins to crawl forward on his own. He may even crawl backwards for the first few days or weeks in his sleep. As he keeps moving, gradually we see a rhythmic cross pattern develop, manifesting as bending his knee, digging his big toe into the floor, and pushing off with his leg as his opposite arm reaches forward. This early mobility milestone then leads him upward onto his hands and knees to creep, his next mobility challenge.
At this early level of mobility we also see that the infant with a subluxated neck will roll over instead of crawling forward. This is a sign of a severe head misalignment. In an infant, the head is heaviest and the weight of the head pulls the pelvis with it, causing the child to flop over if his spine is inflexible. Many times a baby cries out when on his tummy due to subluxation, is then picked up and put into a swing, baby seat, walker, or other restrictive devices. He then misses crawling time that develops critical cognitive development: making sounds that lead to language and communication.
A healthy spine is flexible enough to move one vertebra at a time in a fluid motion precipitating successful crawling.
Our evaluations at Oklahaven reveal that many children with learning disabilities, from mild to severe, either skipped this first essential belly crawling milestone or did it in a disorganized way. We have seen subluxation in infancy impede normal movement of the head, neck, shoulders, and upper body, resulting in a lack of sensory integration and overall neurological disorganization.
Difficulty nursing is a good example of an early subluxation. The mother has a difficult time nursing, so the baby is put on a bottle with changes in nipples and the angle of the bottle tipped to make it easier, rather than correcting the misalignment of the head and neck. Breast-feeding engages the suck-swallow breathing rhythms. Babies benefit from breastfeeding — all five senses take part in the experience–taste, smell, touch, seeing, hearing and mothers’ presence of peace and love.
Inability to properly move the tongue both in and out of the mouth and lateral movement it is an indication of subluxation of the cervical spine and improper alignment. Clipping of the tongue could be avoided with chiropractic adjustments.
As President of the Parent Support Group, I listen to the wise and desperate mothers who have lived with these negative patterns, even though many years may have passed since their child’s subluxation first occurred. The problem they see often manifests as delayed development and hyperactivity that bring them to Oklahaven for chiropractic help. Mothers now realize their intuition was right. A bell goes off in their heads, too!
As a parent it is satisfying to know that my instincts are still correct. Together, we can help other families realize the importance of chiropractic care in the long journey our children make to express their full human potential!
A mother bonds with her baby naturally by humming, singing, talking and gazing into his face, especially around feeding times.
I have vivid memories of the day my son smiled at me for the first time. It was just before his feeding in the early morning hours. I was tired and going through the motions so I could get back to bed. I sat down in the rocking chair to nurse him and as I was adjusting my pillows, I looked down and he smiled up at me, as if he was saying, “Hi mom! I’m so glad to see you!” That woke me up! I smiled back.
He had just engaged me in our first conversation and he was only 6 weeks old! In those precious moments I had a profound realization that I was holding my new life, my sacred responsibility. Needless to say, we spent more than just the required time nursing that morning!
He had been reacting to different voices and looked in the direction of household sounds when only a few weeks old.
What struck me was that he initiated our connection. He drew me to him. I realize now that this happened as a result of all the interactions and talking I had done with him for those six weeks and probably in utero also. I was truly a mother!
Every mother longs for this connection. My son and I played games in which I would make shapes with my mouth or stick out my tongue and he would imitate me. He did the same with sounds. The steps are intuitive but also learned.
Babies need to hear us talking intelligently to them all day long. They are big people in little bodies. Babies do talk with deliberate intent even though their language is garbled and slurred. The mechanics of their verbal expressions are immature. A mother hears past this and knows what her child is saying and responds. If her interpretation is wrong he will tell her—with his eyes, facial expression, or attempts to say the words again and again. Even the most hurt child will respond as long as mother persists.
It’s important to use a clear, high voice, simple loving couplets or phrases with consistent diction when speaking to an infant. This helps the infant to pattern his immature coordination. If the pauses are long enough, it allows the infant to mouth his words and get his sounds to come out.
Language is stored according to its sounds, rhythms, pulse, context, vocabulary and meanings. These elements are retrieved, combined and permutated from thousands of subtleties into a grammar and syntax to develop the patterns of verbal expression–a very complex process of organization. For every baby the first language he hears is a foreign language!
When my son was a new toddler, about 14 to 18 months old, he questioned everything with a “what’s that?” I remember him pointing or reaching for things and creating a sound or babble for what he wanted from his high chair. It might not have been clear words but I could tell he wanted to hear what we called that thing, so he could also say its name. I also saw that his younger brother, as a tiny infant watched him almost as much as he watched me. He couldn’t wait to do and say all the things his bigger brother did.
Within three short years a child should speak thousands of words in many combinations–couplets, phrases and short sentences, to have small conversations!
By five years children are progressing to a larger vocabulary to match their wider experience of the world. Their language begins to reflect their thinking. The five year old connects his sentences with more clauses, the “because” and the “but”–the cause and effect of his understanding manifests regularly in his speech.
At six years a child has intuited the grammar and syntax rules in English from what he has heard so far.. The logical “mailer” for postman is replaced with the commonly acceptable usage of mailman. The tenses and agreement of his verbs and nouns are more accurate. The drink, drank and drunk and run, ran, has run type usage is beginning to be clearer. The example of adult speech gives a child the clues and gentle correction when needed helps him to establish new patterns of improved conversation.
When the miracle of language is not in place a mother begins her journey of fear and worry. There are many scenarios: her child may speak with the slurred babble of his infant days or even not at all; he appears to regress on the developmental pathway having more language at one than he did at two; or he uses the same sound for everything.
At Oklahaven, we observe that when a child’s language is delayed or limited his early sensory and early mobility milestones have been missed or poorly performed. We see the relationship between spinal subluxation and a slow or blocked process of auditory, tactile, mobility, and language development.
As mother gets focused and begins with a special chiropractic treatment plan, we see language begin to develop. Three year olds who came to us with only a few words of speech begin using couplets, then phrases and short sentences. They can modulate the tone of their voice and use a wider vocabulary. They can organize their thoughts. They stop lisping or speaking too fast/slow and speak normally over time.
I have the privilege, as President of the Parent Support Group, to listen to mothers express their joy at hearing their children talk for the first time through the power of chiropractic. Below is a list of the steps in the process of language development.
Birth Birth cry
2.5 months Vital cry in response to life threats
7 months Creation of meaningful sounds
12 months Meaningful and spontaneous speech (2-5 words)
18 months 10-25 words and two word couplets
36 months Simple conversations uses about 2,000 words
60 months Clearer articulation, vocabulary increases up to 10,000 words
72 months Proper structure, syntax and full expression syntax at peer level
No matter where you are on this journey, you can observe your child’s consistency of unfolding and be conscious of the next level he is working toward. You have chiropractic to guide him and our support!
Neurological organization in children results from total and uninterrupted ontogenetic neural development. This development recapitulates the phylogenetic neural development of man and begins during the first trimester of gestation and ends at about six and one-half years of age in normal humans. This orderly development in humans unfolds vertically through the toroid, as it does with all mammals, from sea slugs with a notochord to amphibians, reptiles to mammals and primates to humans.
This progression is an inter-dependent continuum, but if interrupted, its higher levels of development become dis-organized and dys-functional. Then the lower levels of organization become operative and dominant; midbrain sleep and high cervical pathological reflexes appear as the result of stress, trauma, toxicity and sleep deprivation.
When the progression is interrupted higher levels of development do not manifest completely
• startle reflex,
• light reflex,
• babinski reflex, flairing of big toe and four digits
• grasp reflex,
• truncal movement and free range of movement of head, neck, arms and legs,
• cross pattern crawling on the stomach or creeping on hands and knees,
• visual convergence
• ability to localize sounds and screen out background noises,
• range of tactile sensation, Gnostic awareness, light or deep touch
An example is a two or three year old child who goes into a tantrum and becomes irrational, acting out a primitive emotional territorial-like behavior.
Through the evolutionary cycle animals that operate slightly under the level of man are analyzed they are found to have the neuro-anatomical structure of man, but cannot do the following things:
• Stand fully upright
• See three dimensionally
• Oppose thumb and forefinger
• Supinate and pronate the hand
• Speak or write a language, but have their own language.
• Operate unilaterally with a hand, foot and eye of one side of the body.
Just like any other younger brother wanting to be able to compete with his older brother. My youngest always did well in physical activities, but his cognitive, academic abilities were slower. Until we began chiropractic, I did not realize how disorganization at the cognitive level was related to laterality. When evaluated at around 4 years old at Oklahaven, he was crawling homolaterally. I remember trying to tell him to crawl with a cross pattern and he could not translate that to have his body do it. However, we patterned him and when he crawled on his own again it was with a cross pattern. With chiropractic he also began crawling daily and his behaviors and coordination improved and he seemed to process quicker.
When he was old enough to target shoot with his Dad, he discovered that his left eye was dominant, yet he is right handed. When he realized that he could not close his right eye to aim he began shooting with his left hand. It is easier for him to shoot left-handed so he rarely does it the other way. He has always had strong abilities with both hands and both feet – ambidextrous. he enjoys playing sports like basketball because he can coordinate the ball well with both hands. Today, he enjoys juggling which also takes coordination of both hands as well as his eyes.
His cognitive skills are now above average in all areas of school curriculum. He is proud of his school work and is confident to go to middle school.
Dear Parents,
Over the course of time a baby meets his milestones: crawling on the tummy, sitting, creeping on hands and knees, standing, walking, running, hopping, skipping, playing and fine motor coordination. His senses (hearing, seeing, taste, touch and smell) mature into perceptual ability, social skills, language and problem solving. These developmental milestones represent the neurological age.
The time frame from his birth is chronological age. We live in a time space world of physical manifestation. In this world our body’s development is measured with the passing of time. From the moment a child is born his parents are observing his developmental sequence to see if their baby is achieving his milestones on time
When the two ages match, it indicates a healthy, well-organized child. When there is a lack of maturation in the normal growth pattern, the child’s performance is delayed.
This ever-widening dis-organization is reflected in a wild six-year-old trapped in two-year-old neurological performance!
Levels of Dis-organization varies with each child:
Profound–still stuck in infancy, not walking, talking, responding
Severe–mobility at 3 months, intelligence is at higher age level, has some language
Moderate–one year old mobility, two years behind peers in language, weak bilaterally in coordination and organization and stuck at three to four year old behavior
Mild–almost with peers, either socially behind and schoolwork is good or vice versa, schoolwork is poor and socially good. The dominance is mixed and inconsistent.
In chiropractic we see the body having dis-ease. With a discrepancy between the neurological and chronological ages we see that a child with more than five symptoms becomes labeled with a dis-order. The names are many: mild dyslexia, OCD, ADD, ADHD, PDD, bipolarism, C.H.A.R.G.E., Down’s, Apert’s, Cerebral Palsy, Asberger’s (mild autism) to profound autism.
Over the years we have observed with chiropractic care a child returns to health as each delayed or missed milestone is restored. Function develops and then integrates and refines into full function. The result is a more organized child emerging with age-appropriate behavior.
We would like to commend all parents who are dedicated to helping their children close this neurological gap and reach their optimal potential with chiropractic.
We wish all mothers a Happy Mother’s Day and we celebrate your love, dedication, and great faith in your child!
Dear Parents,
This month’s patter is on Practical Problem Solving.
A baby perceives through his sensory pathways: vision, auditory, tactile, smell, and taste. An infant develops from a smell-touch oriented being into a sight-hearing being. His problem solving begins with a need that creates a facility to solve, as it begins with the baby’s first cry for help.
He cries to alert his mother when:
• He wants to nurse because he is feels hunger.
• His diaper needs changing as he feels the discomfort of being soiled.
• He senses he is alone because he cannot see, hear or feel mother close by.
Baby is solving the first problems in his life outside the womb.
From the beginning parents become aware of this internal state, his higher, deeper consciousness. As parents learn to respect and honor this special presence, their children learn to recognize and value this deeper consciousness within themselves.
Then, as the baby grows he begins to move to explore his world. The degree of his curiosity is a measure of his intelligence. His spinal alignment, upon which his life force flows, will determine the degree of his movement to satisfy this curiosity.
We have found the natural curiosity becomes distorted in a subluxated child. This creates either a hyper or hypo-reactive intake pathway/sensory distorting and delaying a child’s motor responses. The integration of his sensory pathways weakens and manifests as disorganization.
A well, active baby crawls all over the house on his tummy to develop a cross pattern. A few months later he gets up to creep on his hands and knees and takes in larger amounts of information.
The more you teach a child at the earliest time, in a loving and joyous manner in accordance with his level of ability, the more he will mature to enjoy solving problems when he is older. A quiet setting strengthens his memory and sharpens his faculty of
decisiveness.
The goal is to become self-reliant, self-confident, through learning as much about his world as he can as quickly as possible through encouragement. His attention span is short but he absorbs information with lightening speed and retention with very little need for repetition. Emphasis should be placed on independent thinking that comes from learning to solve a wide variety of problems at an early age.
We have found when the body is balanced and subluxation free; the five steps in problem solving become easier. You will have:
• Clear and organized sensory pathways to take in impressions and experiences
• Then the impressions and experiences (information) can be stored in memory
• Then the information can easily be retrieved
• The ability to combine and apply the information
• Then draw new conclusions based on past experience to solve new and ever-changing situations
Experiences and impressions are gathered and built upon. Understanding is different for each person. Knowledge needs to be used in order to be retained. Emphasis should be placed on independent thinking that comes from learning to solve a wide variety of problems at an early age. An example is looking at and hearing a bell. When you encounter a similar object; you intuit that it is a bell.
Children learn lessons by applying reasoning power to challenges in life. All skills are easier to accomplish when they are broken down into clear simple steps that build gradually to an end product. Mothers can write up simple checklists for tasks so that each step can be ticked off.
Children learn to:
• Do daily chores that have a sequence with a beginning, a middle and end with a product such as:
• Properly making a bed
• Cooking a recipe
• Setting the table
• Explore their creativity by making things
• Finish a science project
• Build and use tools
• Read a map to arrive at a destination, etc.
For the child who understands but may not speak we can use reading to help him communicate his choices with “yes” and “no” cards. We can give him choices for eating and for rewards for his cooperation. Over time single words are combined into couplets, phrases, sentences and homemade books with large print and autobiographical topics with individualized appeal. Once he can read and spell if he still cannot speak we can ask him to use a facilitated communication board to spell out his choices. Then reading material is used as a tool for both parent and child for creative problem solving.
Problem solving is the goal of human intelligence, all kinds-practical, social, academic, spiritual, etc. Through this, children develop:
• Sense of responsibility
• Self-confidence
• A better ability to communicate with others through appreciating what they know
• More active sense of curiosity
• More logical deductive reasoning skills
These points apply to all children–well or hurt. My sons began showing us the things they were interested in between ages 3 and 5. These gifts were part of who they are, but it takes instruction from us as parents to help break down the activity to small, simple steps that the child can follow and then use again at the next level.
Although my son kept sitting down and playing the piano, he needed to be guided by a qualified instructor, given the space and time to practice and encouragement to continue in the way he was most motivated. These are all ways that I helped him in his problem solving at 5 years of age so that as he grew and more of the decisions were his to make he could solve new dilemmas with less of my help. Even at 6 when we chose a piano teacher my son was part of that process. He was the one that agreed to take his lesson before school because the teacher didn’t have any other times available. Now he makes decisions about music choice, composing, practice times, adding more instruments to his abilities and whether music will be his career or just a great hobby to enjoy.
As parents, we teach our children what is necessary to live day to day by breaking down the steps in order for them to see how it can be accomplished for their age. Their satisfaction in achieving simple challenges breeds success. And their success breeds motivation to try solving more new and sophisticated problems, to experiment and be creative. As time goes on and they become more organized they will be able to take these early lessons and apply them to making major decisions in all areas of their life.
It’s a great feeling to watch them begin to challenge themselves and extend their horizons! Inspire them on the road to wellness! You are their best cheerleader!
P.S. Don’t forget to include strategy and board games in your family time. This is problem solving made fun; it is like a practice and everyone benefits!
