By Martha O’Regan
Notice how folks are suffering right now with sore throats, sinus or chest congestion, sneezing, and coughing? No fever and not really bad enough to stay home but enough to bring discomfort and a wonder about what they are “coming down with”. In our culture, we call it a cold but more often than not, it is merely a ‘seasonal cleanse’, a natural cleansing process in response to change of seasons—moving from the expansive season of summer to a contractive season of fall.
When we truly grasp that everything in all of creation is energy that follows predictable seasonal cycles, we can then begin to support certain changes in our body rather than immediately suppressing them, like we’ve been programmed to do. These expected rhythms come naturally through the foods we eat, the thoughts we think, and the activities we enjoy. As summer turns to fall, with cool mornings and warm afternoons, our bodies are following suit. We begin dressing in layers and enjoying foods that warm us up, the leaves begin to shrivel up and drop, and animals, following their innate wisdom, finish their preparations for winter. We experience the variation of temperatures in our environments as we move from warm homes or offices to cold cars or spend hours at a football game without enough layers. Because our body follows nature, these variations ultimately force the trillion cells in our body to go from an expanded state into a contractive or state. This ‘squeezing’ process results in a detoxifying or cleansing process, which is often felt through our mucous membranes as a runny nose, sore throat and watery eyes. Our individual lifestyles and the amount of toxins our body is attempting to rid itself may make some of us feel worse than others as our body cleanses.
As soon as we begin to notice our body going through a ‘seasonal cleanse’, we can recognize that the ‘symptoms’ we are feeling are a perfect response to the nature around us. It is actually good (albeit not always pleasant) and a natural occurrence based on basic laws of nature. Learning to begin with being grateful that our body is getting rid of the ‘gunk’ and supporting the process by drinking plenty of water and herbal teas, allows us to take control of our own health and wellbeing by getting adequate rest, utilizing essential oils, and flushing our sinuses with a neti pot or a simple saline spray.
It is most important to prevent the ‘gunk’ from getting stuck, and becoming an ‘itis’, another word for inflammation. When the ‘gunk’ gets ‘stuck’ in the sinuses, and causes the tissues to become inflamed, it becomes ‘sinusitis’ and likewise, ‘goop’ getting ‘stuck’ in the bronchioles in the lungs, becomes ‘bronchitis’. Support the body by using contrast therapy (hot/cold) on your sinuses or your chest using ice packs and hot baths or showers. One good trick for sinuses is to stand at the kitchen sink with 2 bowls—one with ice cubes and one with a warm compress, preferably with a few drops of eucalyptus, thyme or lavender essential oils. Alternate holding the warm compress on your face over your sinus areas (above and below the eyebrow just at the bridge of the nose and along the bottom of the cheek bone), breathing deeply (until compress cools) then rubbing the same areas with the ice cubes. Keep the cubes moving, staying in each of the six locations for several seconds. Repeating at least 3 times finishing up with the ice will bring relief as you help keep the ‘gunk’ moving—let it flow, let it flow, let it flow!
Remember that you body is always communicating with you so as you enjoy the change of seasons, become aware of how your body responds to it. When you take the time to listen and support its natural processes, you can learn to live in your body with much more ease and vitality. Live Awake…Have Fun!
