Natural Health and Wellness

Valor® , is a proprietary blend of therapeutic grade essential oils from Young Living . Young Living offers over 100 different essential oils and essential oil blends. This specific blend reached out and caught my attention in a BIG BIG way . . . That experience, which I'll share today, not only grabbed my attention, it hooked me on the oils that I love so much. Young Living also incorporates these therapeutic grade oils into a host of personal care products, dietary supplements, and household products that are non-toxic, eco-friendly, and wonderful to use. Now for my personal story of Valor® -- A bit long, but I truly wished to share the whole traumatic experience for you to know how truly blessed I felt upon the discovery of this great essential oil. Three years ago this past December -- it was the day after Christmas -- the Mid-South section of the county was recovering from a major ice storm & a devastating tsunami was hitting Thailand. That was the day! Our son and daug...

Aromatherapy oils have shown in many cases to be highly effective when used on the feet to promote health & wellness for the entire body. This was a significant factor in my personal decision to pursue reflexology training. It was my desire to intentionally introduce more people to the therapeutic effects of the oils by using them in a reflexology setting. The following aromatherapy tip comes directly from a Young Living distributor through the Young Living weekly newsletter. I'm passing it on to you. This is an awesome testimony to the power of Young Living essential oils . “My husband has a hard time sleeping at night, especially when he travels away from home. He uses lavender and Valor® essential oil blend together on his feet and sleeps all night long! (The author of this post, the Young Living distributor from which the tip comes, and the Young Living Company assume no liability for any damage caused by use of this tip.)

The thought of sending my king size bedspread to the dry cleaner was distasteful for a couple of reasons. Only one (kinda large) corner needed cleaning. The dry cleaning solvents would be quite noxious to my way of thinking. Never the less, the whole bedspread would certainly not fit in my washing machine. What happened? Our precious little 2 year old granddaughter was sleeping on our bed when an upset tummy presented itself in quite a yucky way. You probably get my drift here. Carefully wiping it off and then allowing it to dry out gave me a bit of time to think this one through. Thieves™ in its many forms has come to my rescue before. One corner of the bedspread would easily fit in my oversize kitchen sink. So, with a bar of Thieves™ Soap and some cold water the spots were gently coaxed from the bedspread. Wrapped in towels to absorb the water, the bedspread is now clean and spread out to dry. The greater benefit is the antibacterial properties of Thieves®, and essential oil blend fr...

One of the comments made in response to this YOUTube video was to the effect that if each of us did one earth friendly thing each day, the earth would smile. The music and the message are terrific! Be warned: There are many sad scenes between the many beautiful ones here. We could jump to the extreme conclusion that we would be wise to all go back to living like cave men. More realistically, however, I believe it is a call to all of us to be more selective about our perceived "needs," more responsible with the disposal of our discards, and more contemplative before we act about just how our actions will affect this earth for our children and our grancdhildren and theirs for the generations to come.

Emerson Grace is 2 weeks old today! In the midst of a blog entitled ALIVE! I believe I'll take a moment for G'amma to brag (and show off a little too) about this NEW LIFE that is definitely ALIVE! This is the newest blessing for our family, and quite a sweet one, too! Big sister, Mikah, adores her. We all agree, she's a keeper!

Earth Day is celebrated this week. Over the years I've had various reactions to the attitudes and types of people that might celebrate this day. . . . some more honorable than others I'll have to admit. As I've contemplated the position I choose to take about the earth and how we live upon on it as its caretakers my only honest conclusions come from the words of the ONE BOOK I truly believe to be the very basis of truths that man is wise to live and follow. Everyone may not agree. It doesn't make it any less GOD'S TRUTH, and I choose for myself to follow Him to Eternity. So, what words are found on this subject in The Bible? I'm so glad you asked. Well, even if you didn't -- I'll be sharing any way. Here they are. Genesis 1:27-29 (The Message)* 26-28 God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, And, yes, Eart...

It's that time of the year...at least in Memphis it is... It's beautiful!!! The azaleas and dogwoods are producing their short but spectacular spring extravaganza showtime! All of this also produces lots of allergy and sinus issues for many people. My discovery of high quality (therapeutic or medical grade) essential oils has contributed greatly to my ability to enjoy this season with much less of the itchy, watery eyes, irritated nasal passages, sinus drainage and all the rest of what this season often brings. Accordingly, I've shared what I've learned and experienced with others. Occasionally I'm believed. More often my audience is considerably more skeptical. Recently I came across this article featuring a doctor's suggestions of essential oils for sinus problems. To find the medical community encouraging the use of CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) is always exciting. Please take the time to check out Dr. Mao's thoughts on the subject of es...

By visiting Yahoo! Green's link above (the headline will get you there) you may find yourself amazed and gap jawed at some of what you read about the GIANT bottled water industry. This YOUTube video also makes a quick, but impressive point about all the empty bottles. At our home we have begun to recycle our plastic and glass containers. Our community does not make this convenient, but we have made the decision to take the extra effort to preserve a little drop of the environment for everyone. At the end of the YOUTube video you will find websites specifically focused on the recycling issues. There are many very safe reusable alternatives for taking your water "to go" without the expense and pollution hazard of bottled water. Many of us have filtered water coming right out of the door of our refrigerators. After reading the material at Yahoo! Green you many come to recognize this as a more reliable source of safe drinking water anyway. As a reflexologist I am very aware ...

We're transmitting our blog -- OK, perhaps not so archaically that you need an old fashioned TV antenna -- but subscription service to our posts is available. Read ALIVE! from whatever destination you choose. Click on the "subscribe" icon to the right. We're glad to have you, and look forward to sharing lots of great stuff!!! We love comments . . . . please share your thoughts.

Footsteps In Eden is my business. I am a reflexologist. I'm often asked to explain what reflexology is and what exactly I do. . . What are the benefits to the client? The answer is amazing, but not always easy to convey. How exciting to share what follows! This morning I found this wonderful explanation of reflexology and its benefits on the website of Hadassah Medical Organization, Israel's leading university hospital. I'm excerpting a bit below and encouraging you to read and learn from the complete article by clicking here or on the link above. Reflexology is a natural healing art based on the principle that there are reflexes in the hands, feet and ears that correspond to every part, gland and organ of the body. Through application of pressure on these reflexes, reflexology relieves tension, improves circulation and promotes the natural function of the related areas of the body. ...Reflexology corrects the three negative factors involved in the disease process: congest...

”Tranquility is life to the body, and contention is rottenness to the bones.” These incredibly wise words of King Solomon (at least in part) are seen at the top of this blog every time you visit. They also ring so true. Last week was not a tranquil one in the life of our family, and my body has felt it . . . particularily in exhaustion and what appeared to me as diminished mental capabilities at times. Anyone else been there?!? The events our family faced last week – some blissful and some quite sorrowful – were all ones we are unable to avoid. While we welcomed a beautiful new granddaughter into our lives, bringing us much joy, demands on our time and energy were truly stretched. Last week we also lost a beloved uncle, and readmitted my mother-in-law to the hospital once again as we watch her life diminishing. Stress is all around us. Sometimes, as in the situations above, it takes all that we have to make it through. Then our bodies let us know they are exhausted and in need of rest...

The medical community is promoting the benefits of reflexology. I'm excited to share the list below of medical centers and what they are saying about the benefits of this amazing touch therapy. Thank you to Mark Cook, reflexologist in Idaho for gathering and sharing the information below. What is reflexology effective for? In my practice, I've seen miracles time and time again in every kind of ailment. People withlong standing conditions and no hope have regained hope as their quality of life improved. Since I am not a doctor, I am not qualified to diagnose and condition. Nor do I try since I seek to balance the whole body. Medical centers ARE qualified and promote reflexology as beneficial for the following conditions. The California Pacific Medical Center says: Reflexology reduces stress, balances energy flow in the body and mind and supports the immune system. Though given on the hands and feet, this extraordinary technique affects the entire body. The University of Pittsb...