Over the last few years I’ve become castor oil’s unofficial ambassador.  I always carry a bottle on trips- and it’s uses go far beyond repairing burned skin.   From beauty treatments to healing, here are just some ways you can use my favorite oil…

Castor Oil Packs:

The psychic Edgar Cayce advocated soaking a wool flannel sheet in castor oil, and using a hot water bottle or other warming source on top of the pack on various areas of your body.  You can place the castor oil pack on your abdomen (or other areas of concern) to detoxify or heal.

I’ve found massaging castor oil on your belly in the morning or at night also helps with occasional constipation or other skin ailments.

Castor oil is unique, in that it’s molecular weight allows for penetration deep into the skin.  For this reason you can use it to carry essential oils (a friend recommended tea tree oil and castor oil rubbed onto the belly to help with bladder infections).  But that also means, be careful what you mix with the oil before you put it onto your skin.

Many holistic healers advocate castor oil’s use to heal the skin, digestive system, join pain, muscle injuries, back pain, lymph nodes, warts, allergies, etc.

I also add castor oil to my hair conditioner- it makes your hair shiny and doesn’t weigh it down (one part castor oil, one part conditioner in the palm of your hand, mix, then apply to your hair, rinse and shine away

It’s also said that castor oil can help your eyelashes grow longer- although I haven’t tried that, and many castor oil bottles warn of getting oil close to your eye.

Use castor oil on your hands and cuticles to soften and prevent cracked nails.

Have dry, cracked feet?  Put a light coat of castor oil on your feet then cover with socks before bed (note, if you have tile, wood or marble floors- be careful!  I’ve gone flying after trying to get up in the middle of the night to get water)

I’ve used castor oil to heal my allergies (I placed castor oil on welts and they’re gone in no time).  When my dog got a skin tumor on his paw pad, I put castor oil on it to moisturize while we waiting for a vet appointment- the tumor actually fell off in days!

Of course if you’re having any severe symptoms don’t be a knuckle head- see your doctor!  Also you should always consult your doctor to make sure castor oil won’t affect any medications or conditions you may have. There are many other uses for castor oil- feel free to email your favorite tips to christianne@truthfairytv.com or use the forums to share

Enjoy!!

2 tablespoons natural kitty litter (make sure the ingredient is bentonite clay only)

3 drops lavender essential oil

water

olive oil (for dry or combination skin)

Break up litter into small pieces (you may need to grind the pieces up so they mix well with water and essential oils).  Stir water into kitty litter in small quantities until it forms a thick paste.  Add three drops of lavender essential oil (and a small amount of olive oil if necessary).

Massage mixture in circular motion on clean, dry face until fully covered (be careful to avoid eye area).

Wash off with warm water after 15 minutes.  Tone and Moisturize as usual.

Sir Richard Thompson, president of the Royal College of Physicians says that time spent outdoors planting and harvesting your crop may even be more effective than prescription drugs.

Now the UK government is allowing doctors to recommend gardening for depression. “I have, for some time, thought doctors should prescribe a course of gardening for people who come to them with depression or stroke. The new commissioning structures about to be introduced might allow more innovative treatment approaches to be put in place, including the opportunity to try gardening rather than prescribe expensive drugs.”

Not only can gardening help boost your mood- it can also trim your waist.  A study published last year showed that just a half hour tending to a garden can burn up to 200 calories.  “I always wonder why people go to the gym when there is a ‘green gym’ outdoors for us all—and, what’s more, it’s free. Gardening burns off calories; makes joints supple and is fantastic exercise.”

Read more about the recent UK health reforms HERE.

Although differences in inflammatory or endocrine responses were not unique to the yoga sessions, the researchers found that the novices group of yoga practitiners’ blood had 41 percent higher levels of the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) than those of the experts.

IL-6 is a stress-related compound that is thought to play a role in certain conditions such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. In addition, the novices’ levels of C-reactive protein, which serves as a general marker for inflammation, were nearly five times that of the yoga experts. The Yoga Expert Group had lower heart rates in response to stress events than the Novice Group. Yoga also boosted mood in both groups, while the other two activities (walking, video) did not.

The researchers suggested that this study offers insight into how yoga and its related practices may affect health. Regularly practicing yoga could have health benefits, which may only become evident after years of practice and only if one maintains a consistent practice.

The Status of Yoga Research

Research suggests that yoga might:

• Improve mood, decrease stress and sense of well-being
• Improve cardiovascular health such as reducing heart rate and blood pressure
• Improve muscle relaxation and body composition
• Help with conditions such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia
• Improve overall physical fitness, strength, and flexibility
• Positively affect levels of certain brain or blood chemicals.

Research has shown that yoga and other types of mind-body practices can help improve patient outcomes, particularly quality-of-life. However, none have become standard of care, or are on the clinical care pathway for cancer patients.

Patients who participated in the yoga program reported that their ability to engage in everyday activities – walking up stairs or around the neighborhood, carrying groceries – all improved.  Studies also found improved sleep and reduced fatigue levels, and preliminary analysis suggests lowered stress hormone levels.

Through lecture, breath work, guided imagery and gentle physical postures, students learn techniques to manage treatment side effects, cultivate emotional balance, reduce stress and improve overall health.

While it’s not a cure for cancer, yoga enhances physical and emotional wellness—and brings a peace many patients had thought they’d lost forever.

People with cancer may use yoga to:

• Help cope with the side effects of cancer treatments, such as nausea, discomfort, pain, and fatigue;
• Comfort themselves and ease the worries of cancer treatment and related stress;
• Feel that they are more empowered with their own care and well-being.

Mind-Body Medicines

These are based on the belief that your mind is able to affect your body. Some examples are:

• Meditation: Focused breathing or repetition of words, matras or phrases to quiet the mind;
• Yoga: Systems of stretches and poses, with special attention given to breathing;

What questions should I ask my doctor about Yoga?

What types of Yoga might:

• Help me cope, reduce my stress, and feel better?
• Help me feel less tired?
• Help me deal with cancer symptoms, such as pain, or side effects of treatment, such as nausea?
• Improve my level of vitality and wellness?
• Are there any kinds of yoga (hot, power, kundalini) or poses ( backbends, inversions, balancing) that I should avoid?

If I decide to try a Yoga:

• Will it interfere with my treatment or medicines?
• Can you help me understand these articles I found about ygoa?
• Can you suggest a yoga practitioner for me to talk to?
• Will you work with my yoga practitioner?

Choose Yoga Teachers with Care

Choosing one should be done with the same care as choosing a doctor. Here are some things to remember when choosing a Yoga Teacher:

• Ask your doctor or nurse to suggest someone or speak with someone who knows about yoga.
• Ask whether someone at your cancer center or doctor’s office can help you find a yoga teacher. There may be a social worker or physical therapist who can help you.
• Ask whether your hospital keeps lists of centers or has staff who can suggest people.
• Contact Yoga Alliance to get names of practitioners who are certified. This means that they have proper training in their field.
• Contact local health and wellness organizations.
• Ask about each practitioner’s training and experience. They should be certified a Yoga Alliance approved school.
• Call your health care plan to see if it covers yoga.

What general questions should I ask the Yoga Teacher?

• What types of yoga do you practice?
• What are your training and qualifications?
• Do you teach other students with my type of cancer?

If You Are Thinking About Yoga

• Do not use yoga as a replacement for conventional care or to postpone seeing a doctor about a medical problem.
• If you have a medical condition, consult with your health care provider before starting yoga.
• Ask about the physical demands of the type of yoga in which you are interested, as well as the training and experience of the yoga teacher you are considering.
• Look for published research studies on yoga for the health condition you are interested in.
• Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a complete picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

If you’re taking a class and have difficulty with a pose, an experienced instructor will design an easier posture for you or give you modifications to make it more accessible. Many teachers use props such as blocks or cushions to make the practice more comfortable.

If you find even basic classes to be too difficult, ask your teacher if there is a “restorative” yoga class you could try. These gentle classes are beneficial when recovering from illness or surgery and involve a minimum of physical work, concentrating on breathing while being supported by pillows, blocks, blankets and other props.

Important things to consider before trying yoga

Like all practices, yoga comes with some risks:

• Risk of inexperienced instructors: Because of the variation in certification requirements for yoga teachers, it’s possible to take a class with a yoga teacher who has very little experience. This is not always safe and can result in injuries. Ask your oncologist or cancer center staff to recommend highly experienced yoga instructors who regularly work with cancer patients.

• Risk of lymphedema: In people who have had lymph nodes removed, some of the more strenuous yoga types and poses may present a risk for lymphedema.Lymphedema (pronounced LIMF-eh-DEE-ma) is a side effect that can begin during or after breast cancer treatment. It isn’t life threatening, but can last over a long period of time. Lymphedema involves swelling of the soft tissues of the arm or hand. The swelling may be accompanied by numbness, discomfort, and sometimes infection.  A yoga instructor who has experience with breast cancer patients will know which yoga types and poses are safe.

• Risk of fracture in people with bone metastasis: In people with breast cancer that has metastasized to the bone, some types of yoga may carry a risk of fractures. If you have bone metastasis, ask your doctor whether yoga is right for you, or if there is a gentle form of yoga  such as restorative yoga or another practice that might work better, such as guided imagery. Always check with your doctor before you begin a yoga practice, especially if it vigorous or physically challenging.

As the playwright, director and producer of your life story, you write criticism into your stage play. Then you put out a casting call for the part.  The characters in your life are the characters that have answered your casting call.

Anyone who is critical in your life is someone you have put there to play the part and even though these characters are outside of you, it’s important to remember that all criticism is self-criticism.

So how do you write these people out of your life story?

First you must take ownership of your present life story by understanding how you wrote it. Then you can introduce a new character to positively help you.

The tools you write your life story with are not words, but instead your thoughts, emotions, meanings and responses.  And the external characters you use to reinforce them.

You create your story by experiencing a circumstance, having a thought about the circumstance, creating emotions about these thoughts, letting that give meaning to the circumstance, then completing the circle by responding to the circumstance, through the meaning you given it.

For example, you start a new job and one evening you attend a company function where you don’t know anyone. Already you are a little uncomfortable. You forgot your nice shoes and you’re wearing your “comfortable” normally under-the-desk shoes. You see someone glance at you, then down at your shoes. They make a face.

You instantly think that they are criticizing you and you start to get more uncomfortable, which adds to your tension about being at the function to begin with. Suddenly everyone seems to be looking at your and your shoes.

It happens with lightning speed.

Sometimes the criticizer is real and sometimes they are not real, but the feeling you have is always self-generated.

You experience something, have a thought about it, turn it into a feeling then assign that meaning to the entire situation – and then respond accordingly.

That is what your life story is composed of: circumstances, thoughts & emotions, meanings & responses. An unending circle reinforced by characters you have cast in your life story.

By understanding the structure of how your life story is created, you can realize that what you are thinking has a cascading effect on your emotions, meanings, and responses.

The best way to short-circuit this circle and to create new thoughts and outcomes is by writing in a new character into your play – your Objective Viewer.

Your Objective Viewer is the part of your self that sees things objectively, always available, patiently waiting for his / her turn to be put in the play.  It is the part of yourself that answers the questions you ask of it in an objective, honest and open way.

The next time you have an external character delivering what you think is a criticism performance, stop and remember you are the playwright, director and producer of your life.

From this position of ownership take a moment to solicit your Objective Viewer and let him/her look objectively at the situation and ask, “What am I saying to myself by responding to this supposedly critical person? What positive intent do I have for myself in this event?”

Then close your eyes, take a moment and see yourself sitting in the audience of your life. The answer will come to you and it will be simple.

“Well I did this to avoid blah or I did this to stay blah.”

Now you have the secret thought behind the thoughts, emotions and meaning that drives your responses. This will allow you to write a new response for your critical characters in your life story.

Solicit your Objective Viewer often. By seeing things through your Objective Viewer’s eyes, you will no longer have to cast the part of the criticizer in your life story.

My second garden was a gift to my husband.  I called it my “manly” garden.  Since my husband represents Native Americans, I wanted to include plants and rocks that were inspired by his work.  There are two types of sage, a desert and opalite eagle and buffalo on agate.

My latest garden is a fairy herb garden that I put together for a charity auction along with a copy of my book,Christianne’s Herbal Kitchen: Fresh Herb Recipes for Body and Soul.  Take a look below for the pics.  I hope you like them!  If you’re inspired, I’d love to see what you put together.  The gardens are SO fun and they make great gifts (especially with my book  !

Check out the recipe and all the winners here : D

http://www.ifood.tv/oscar-night-recipes

Healthy living author of Christianne’s Herbal Kitchen: Fresh Herb Recipes for Body and Soul, Christianne Klein shares some of her favorite aphrodisiac foods with Colleen Williams of KNBC-TV Los Angeles. What will put you in the mood for love for your Valentine? Find out in this fun, and informative video! TheHerbCookbook.com

Healthy living author of Christianne’s Herbal Kitchen: Fresh Herb Recipes for Body and Soul, Christianne Klein shares some of her favorite aphrodisiac foods with Colleen Williams of KNBC-TV Los Angeles. What will put you in the mood for love for your Valentine? Find out in this fun, and informative video! TheHerbCookbook.com