ron teeguarden and dragon herbs


Ron Teeguarden’s Dragon Herbs Elixir Bar in Los Angeles seems like a powerful way to add energy to a day, it also looks like a place of beauty. Let’s pretend that we’re at the Elixir Bar and we’re toasting to all the ways there are in the world of keeping body, mind, and emotions healthy.

Ron Teeguarden is widely recognized as one of the foremost herbalists in America. His classic book Chinese Tonic Herbs was written in 1984, and his website says that it “remains the best selling book on Chinese tonic herbalism to date in America” and that his wife Yanlin “is responsible for the beautiful ‘look’ associated with the Dragon Herbs stores, literature and packaging.” The website: www.dragonherbs.com tells of a remarkable story, and along with that, it has a lot of information.

I’ve requested a catalog, though after two attempts of offering name and address on the website, it’s not forthcoming. I just might have to take a Red Eye flight to visit the Elixir Bar; perhaps I’ll find a Dragon Herbs catalog there (oh, how inconvenient).

Lastly, I ask: What about opening an Elixir Bar in dear old Philadelphia? I can imagine that 😀

onions and garlic

I received the following email from a friend in Malta. Lilian and her friends research and have a knack for gathering unusual information about food. And so, I’m passing this one along to you. I think it makes a lot of sense. After reading it, I see onions in an entirely new way.

Is it all true? What do you think?

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don’t know how true this is but just an FYI…..”MUST READ”
ONIONS ~ MAYONNAISE
PLEASE READ TO THE END: IMPORTANT

In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people there was this Doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu. Many of the farmers and their family had contracted it and many died.

The doctor came upon this one farmer and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then). The doctor couldn’t believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope. She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy.

Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser in AZ. She said that several years ago many of her employees were coming down with the flu and so were many of her customers. The next year she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop. To her surprise, none of her staff got sick. It must work.. Try it and see what happens. We did it last year and we never got the flu.

Now there is a P. S. to this for I sent it to a friend in Oregon who regularly contributes material to me on health issues. She replied with this most interesting experience about onions:

Thanks for the reminder. I don’t know about the farmers story.. but, I do know that I contacted pneumonia and needless to say I was very ill.. I came across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion put it into an empty jar…placing the jar next to the sick patient at night. It said the onion would be black in the morning from the germs.. sure enough it happened just like that.. the onion was a mess and I began to feel better.

Another thing I read in the article was that onions and garlic placed around the room saved many from the black plague years ago. They have powerful antibacterial, antiseptic properties.

This is the other note.

Lots of times when we have stomach problems we don’t know what to blame. Maybe it’s the onions that are to blame. Onions absorb bacteria is the reason they are so good at preventing us from getting colds and flu’s and is the very reason we shouldn’t eat an onion that has been sitting for a time after it has been cut open.

LEFT OVER ONIONS ARE POISONOUS

I had the wonderful privilege of touring Mullins Food Products, Makers of
mayonnaise.. Mullins is huge, and is owned by 11 brothers and sisters in the
Mullins family. My friend, Jeanne, is the CEO.

Questions about food poisoning came up, and I wanted to share what I learned from a chemist.

The guy who gave us our tour is named Ed. He’s one of the brothers Ed is a chemistry expert and is involved in developing most of the sauce formula. He’s even developed sauce formula for McDonald’s.

Keep in mind that Ed is a food chemistry whiz. During the tour, someone asked if we really needed to worry about mayonnaise. People are always worried that mayonnaise will spoil. Ed’s answer will surprise you. Ed said that all commercially- made Mayo is completely safe.

“It doesn’t even have to be refrigerated. No harm in refrigerating it, but it’s not really necessary.” He explained that the pH in mayonnaise is set at a point that bacteria could not survive in that environment. He then talked about the quaint essential picnic, with the bowl of potato salad sitting on the table and how everyone blames the mayonnaise when someone gets sick.

Ed says that! when food poisoning is reported, the first thing the officials look for is when the ‘victim’ last ate ONIONS and where those onions came from (in the potato salad?). Ed says it’s not the mayonnaise (as long as it’s not homemade Mayo) that spoils in the outdoors. It’s probably the onions, and if not the onions, it’s the POTATOES.

He explained, onions are a huge magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked onions. You should never plan to keep a portion of a sliced onion.. He says it’s not even safe if you put it in a zip-lock bag and put it in your refrigerator.

It’s already contaminated enough just by being cut open and out for a bit, that it can be a danger to you (and doubly watch out for those onions you put in your hotdogs at the baseball park!)

Ed says if you take the leftover onion and cook it like crazy you’ll probably be okay, but if you slice that leftover onion and put on your sandwich, you’re asking for trouble. Both the onions and the moist potato in a potato salad, will attract and grow bacteria faster than any commercial mayonnaise will even begin to break down.

Also, dogs should never eat onions. Their stomachs cannot metabolize onions.

Please remember it is dangerous to cut an onion and try to use it to cook the next day, it becomes highly poisonous for even a single night and creates toxic bacteria which may cause adverse stomach infections because of excess bile secretions and even food poisoning.

Please pass this on to all you love and care.

anxiety, “distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune”

www.dictionary.com has this to say about the word anxiety:
1. distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune: He felt anxiety about the possible loss of his job.
2. earnest but tense desire, eagerness: He has a keen anxiety to succeed in his work.
3. Psychiatry, a state of apprehension and psychic tension occurring in some forms of mental disorder.

The antonyms are: 1. certainty, serenity, tranquillity

So, how exactly do we manage to reduce anxiety, and restore a healthier mind and body? Well, we seem to have many choices. We just have to be willing to do the homework. The thing is we’ve gathered many beliefs and opinions, and a question to think about is: are all those beliefs and opinions our own or were they passed down to us from here, there, and everywhere, and collected by us? Since we tend to largely base our choices on them, we need to know if they make any sense, and do we want to continue to keep them.

Most of the time we’re unaware of the daily choices we make, and if that’s the case we could be unaware of the way they’re affecting us and causing anxiety. In order to assess the why of anxiety in our life, we have to set aside some time to look deeply at what’s causing it and so we meditate. The answer will come when we give enough time and sincerity in finding the why of the anxiety.

The meaning of the word anxiety seems to indicate a need for a trust in Life, and to reduce anxiety we can begin by establishing a deep trust that there’s a grand reason for our being here. Doubts that say otherwise will come, and we have to let them go. They have power right now or there wouldn’t be any anxiety, as soon as trust in Life is rooted in us the power of our doubts will diminish.


So, how exactly do we establish a trust in Life? As in many situations, what works for one may not work for another. We have a list of choices: Books are wonderful guides; the right book in our hands is a great teacher and will guide us. We simply have to agree to set aside time to learn from them, to find those particular passages that connect to our spirit, and read them over and over until they’re absorbed and become a part of us, or read many books, each one advancing us in our pursuit of trust in Life. We have retreats galore to choose from the world over. We have to agree to go, and if necessary, go again and again. We have to agree with ourselves to not listen to stories – whether they be via tv, a family member, a friend, a newspaper, a movie – that cause anxiety. We find like-minded people who uplift us to hang out with. We choose our friends wisely. We find a way to spiritually unfold, a way that works for us.

Finally they’ll be that day when anxiety slips away and a trust in Life replaces it. If doubts surface once in a while, that’s okay. We can smile now, the doubts are harmless; we’re anchored in trust. Finally we’ve stepped away from the 24/7 three-ring circus we’ve been a part of for so long. We smile again knowing that the journey to rid ourselves of the stagnant beliefs and opinions of the world, and to capture and anchor trust in Life and in ourself offered many benefits. Now we can take a delightfully deep breath; we’re in an A-ha! moment.

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“. . . It is a process of diverting one’s scattered forces into one powerful channel. Just as a useless marsh may be converted into a field of golden corn or a fruitful garden by draining and directing the scattered and harmful streams into one well-cut channel, so, he who acquires calmness, and subdues and directs the thought currents within himself, saves his soul, and fructifies his heart and life.”
-James Allen

acupuncture for pets at coral veterinary clinic at fort myers, fla;

    Dogs and cats are wonderful pets and it’s becoming apparent that because they’re living side-by-side with people, they’re experiencing some similar health issues. Just as a lot of us are seeking alternative treatments for our healings, some pet owners are doing the same for their pet. When I read about dogs, cats, and even birds being treated with acupuncture for their ailments, I was interested because some of my friends have spent $4,000, and more, for their pet’s surgery. And since not every pet owner has the pocket money to spend on surgery, and not every pet is a candidate for surgery, and prescription medicines tend to have side affects and can easily add up; why not go the way of . . . yes, acupuncture. This is what’s happening at Fort Myers, Florida, and it would seem that at Coral Veterinary Clinic, a pet is in the best of hands when in the hands of Dr. David Nichols. Ah, what a good idea. The article is on pages 16, 17 in:
    www.qi-journal.com

    Have you noticed that new ideas are steadily surfacing as a new slant is put on an old way of doing things? And have you noticed how, in time, something taken from an old way has the ability to expand in a most unexpected and pleasant new way? “Don’t let ancient knowledge become a thing of the past!” Qi, The Journal of Traditional Eastern Health & Fitness

    * * * * * * *

    “God loved the birds
    and invented trees.
    Man loved the birds
    and invented cages”.
    -Jacques Deval

    “Strive to live unrestricted
    by your past experiences.”

depression

My friend has a dear one in her life who is being treated for depression, and so I began perusing a few books, magazines, and some subscription newsletters. It’s not a secret that there are many reasons for depression; the good news is that there are many treatments.

My frequently-looked-at resource book The Sunfood Diet Success System by David Wolfe suggests eating one or more melons in the morning for breakfast every day for 5-6 weeks. (He says that melons should always be eaten on an empty stomach.) And eat no other food until 12 noon. Why melons? He said they are rich in the B complex vitamins and the B complex vitamins bolster nerves. He also wrote that spells of depression are often associated with moments of low blood sugar, and that fruits should be eaten throughout the day to keep the blood sugar up. The short list of foods to avoid are: complex carbohydrates (rice, cookies, cakes, breads, french fries, baked potatoes), and alcohol which can cause erratic blood sugar fluctuations. (from experience I say that if you’ve ever been in the presence of a person who has low blood sugar you’ll want to carry a melon with you whenever you meet that person.)

Also, in the September/October 2011 Well Being Journal from the U.K. there’s an article titled Importance of Vitamin B12. In the article is mentioned that many people who are suffering from various illnesses actually have a vitamin B12 deficiency. If you know of anyone who is going through depression, you might want to read the article, in fact, I’d say that reading the whole magazine is well-worth the time and effort.
www.wellbeingjournal.com

Clara De La Luna, Epoch Times Staff, in an article called Meditation Causes Changes in Brain Structure – Brain scans show increases in gray-matter density, wrote that: “Meditation” derives from the Latin root “mederi,” meaning “to heal.” And that: “In July 1977, the American Psychological Association recognized meditation as an important healing agent and a facilitator of the therapeutic process.”

In her book HERBS – Nature’s Medicine Chest, Susan Smith Jones, Ph.D. also wrote that “one of the primary roles of the B-complex vitamins in the body is to keep the nervous system functioning well, and deficiencies of these vitamins are associated with nerve problems, and an increase in stress-related symptoms such as depression. . . .”
www.SusansRemedies.com

Louise Hay in her book HEAL YOUR BODY – THE MENTAL CAUSES FOR PHYSICAL ILLNESS AND THE METAPHYSICAL WAY TO OVERCOME THEM has a listing from A to Y. I’m looking at the word “Depression,” and the metaphysical reason: “Anger you feel you do not have a right to have. Hopelessness. And the affirmation: “I now go beyond other people’s fears and limitations. I create my life.”

A wonderful book to have is ANCIENT SECRET OF THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH. I have BOOK 2. John Gray, Author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus wrote about this book: “It’s easy. It’s fast. And it works! I love this program.” I looked in the index for depression and on page 258-259 is a story of how the Five Rites worked for a couple, George and Lynell Roberts, who were given the book by their daughter. The story tells of how the Five RITES greatly helped them. Then a tragedy struck and the FIVE RITES were stopped, and George went into a depression. When he finally resumed them, he said, “something changed.” – his energy, his thinking. will to survive, etc. I think the book, from beginning to end, just might catch your attention, if you give it a try.

On page 224, Deepak Chopra wrote in LIFE AFTER DEATH that depression is rooted in abnormal uptake of the brain chemical serotonin.” And if you are interested in reading more, may I suggest that you read this excellent book.

Yoga, qi gong and tai chi, – the books and articles and talks seem endless about their ability to change body, mind, spirit when we consistently practice these ancient arts.

And let’s not forget the efficacy of herbs and spices, castor oil packs.

The exploration for treatments indicates that we live in a world having many possibilities.

* * * * * * *

It is easy to be the person you have always been, for it requires no change, no self-reflection, and no growth. It may appear that changing yourself requires giving up something. In reality, there is no need to give up anything – you must simply add to what has been.

Develop a profound belief in the universal law of cause and effect – the empowering conviction that we all ultimately direct our own lives.

Fall seven times, stand up eight. – Japanese proverb

There has never been, nor will there ever be a life free from problems. It is not the presence of problems but how we tackle them that determines the quality of our lives.

The mind is a powerful and mysterious force. It can make the best of the worst and the worst of the best.

Focus less on treating the symptoms than on eliminating the cause.

Change for the better requires effort. Change for the worse needs none.

If that which is within is not right, it is futile to pray for that which is without. – Japanese proveb

Until we learn the lessons inherent in unpleasant experiences, they will continue to hold power over us, and we will feel compelled to repeat them.

Intuition transcends the limitations of reason.

taken from: OPEN YOUR MIND, OPEN YOUR LIFE
A Little Book of Eastern Wisdom by Taro Gold

about us


In her book, The Soul of Money, Lynne Twist wrote: “Mother Teresa once noted what she called ‘the deep poverty of the soul’ that afflicts the wealthy, and had said that the poverty of the soul in America was deeper than any poverty she had seen anywhere on earth.'”
www.soulofmoney.org

On her blog, 3 Keys to Living the Life You Want, Jean Houston wrote, “. . . But now there is an open moment in history where you have the chance to tap into the soul of your purpose. . . .” and she wrote, “Most people hold on to old, limiting beliefs of themselves and our human story. . . .” and, “The third key gives you the means to break free from unconscious, habitual ways of reacting to life that were born thousands of years ago, and embrace higher ways of being for a new era. You will discover ways to move through life with ebullience in your bones and an appetite for celebration –seeing everything as an expression of the creator. You will move through life, motivated not by guilt or obligation, but by gratitude and an abiding zest for doing the things that are called forth by living out of your higher purpose.”
www.DestinyandYou.com

In the book, The Healing Power of Mind, Tulku Thondup wrote, “If we habitually dwell on and struggle with the negative side of our situation, our whole mentality, perception, and experience will inexorably become negative and filled with suffering. Seeing a problem as negative, constantly thinking and talking about how awful or painful it is, makes even minor problems insurmountably big and solid like a mountain, sharp like a knife, and dark as night. . . .”
www.tulkuthondup.com

In the book, Your Life Is Your Message, Eknath Easwaran wrote, “. . ., in order to live in inner freedom, you have to learn how to slow down your mind, bring it to a restorative stillness, and park it anywhere you like – in patience, say, or compassion, or love.”
www.eknatheaswaran.org

In the movie, The Burmese Harp directed by Kon Ichikawa, are these words, “. . . Why must the world suffer such misery? Why must there be such inexplicable pain? As the days passed, I came to understand. I realized that, in the end, the answers were not for human beings to know, that our work is simply to ease the great suffering of the world, To have the courage to face suffering, senselessness and irrationality without fear, to find the strength to create peace by one’s own example. I will undergo whatever training is necessary for this to become my unshakable conviction. . . .”

In the CD, The Flowering of Human Consciousness, Eckhart Tolle said, “Humanity has come to the end of suffering. As a species we have suffered enough. To be free, no other suffering is necessary.”
www.eckharttolle.com

In the DVD, How to Know God, Deepak Chopra said, “When we are attuned to our soul, which is the same as deeply going inward, we are able to listen in the silence to the subtle messages of wisdom and guidance. When our minds merge with God’s mind, we become aware that God is in all things – that we are eternal.”
www.deepakchopra.com

In the book, Everyday Karma, Carmen Harra wrote, “Once you bring a problem to the surface, and face it, healing can begin. I also think that healing takes place when a person begins to put order in his life, when he restores balance. One of the most effective ways to restore balance and maintain a sense of wholeness is by resolving your karma in your daily life. You will find that restoring your karma will make you feel better and prevent many types of illnesses and physical complaints. Resolving your karma strengthens your immune system! When people get enmeshed in emotional drama, their energy field becomes vulnerable and that is when they can get sick.”
www.carmenharra.com

In the book, As a Man Thinketh, James Allen wrote, “Let a man radically alter his thoughts, and he will be astonished at the rapid transformation it will effect in the material conditions of his life. Men imagine that thought can be kept secret, but it cannot, it rapidly crystallizes into habit, and habit solidifies into circumstnace.”

In the book, The Advent of the Cosmic Viewpoint, Bryant Reeve wrote, “. . . But as we rise to higher levels of consciousness – as we attain higher viewpoints of life then the very laws of nature tend to change. Also, the electrical phenomena of life change, the energies of life are different, the norm of living changes. The actual realities of life are different. The limitations become fewer. The very “facts of life” change as we rise in consciousness! This is why miracles are possible. They are manifestations of higher laws which become available to higher levels of consciousness.”

In the book, Divine Transformation, part of the Soul Power Series, written by #1 New York Times Bestseller Author Dr. & Master Zhi Gang Sha – trained as a conventional medical doctor and a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, Grandmaster of many ancient disciplines, including tai chi, qi gong, kung fun, I Ching, and feng shui and an expert in the most advanced cellular healing science now occurring in China – wrote, “. . . In all seven books, the Divine has continued to offer divine treasures to every reader. Why is the Divine doing this? We are in Mother Earth’s transition period. Mother Earth’s transition is the purification process of Mother Earth. The root cause of Mother Earth’s transition is the bad karma of humanity and Mother Earth. . . . The one-sentence secret of karma is: Karma is the root cause of success and failure in every aspect of life.”
www.drsha.com

I hope your day is as wonderful as you want it to be.

9/11

I want to write something specifically pertaining to 9/11 but I can’t, there’s too much to say about that day and all the days after. To choose one part of it is not possible for me. When I see pictures, read and listen to stories told about that day and all the days after about the victims, of children waiting for a parent, of spouses, family members, friends of victims not knowing what to do with the news they just heard, stories of the people who survived, stories of all the heroes who assisted, and then the hostility, and the healings, my thinking comes to an abrupt stop and tears well up. We all have our own way of handling what happened on that horrifying day. It’s as if the world lived through a war that was speeded up to take place in just one day, a war watched by many throughout the world with minds and eyes and ears and hearts not quite able to comprehend any of it because it was an act that went far, far beyond anything any of us could have ever imagined.

Today we can pray for the people who died on that day, and for the people whose body, or mind, or spirit wants to heal. And we can always pray for peace.

kristin zambucka, the mana keepers

The world is a neutral place Kristin Zambucka wrote in her wonderful book The Mana Keepers. Neutral, I like that, I said to myself. Other writers have used different words to get the same message across to us, and since we mirror whatever’s going on within ourselves, a variety of writers are necessary for all the different ways we humans have of perceiving life.

The people who write in this fashion are trying to tell us that moment by moment, consciously or unconsciously, our thoughts are creating our life. And when we wrap our mind securely around this thought it’s an Aha! moment. And then what? -the mind asks, and it thinks of the responsibility associated with getting this thought into motion. Where to begin? -it wonders while all along wanting things to stay the same. Too late! There’s no pretending in this matter; it’s the right time and the seed is planted.

And so a new show is being created, and as it develops it gets more exciting. Although sometimes there’s a desire to close the show because it takes too much effort to keep it going. But the nagger within insists on continuing because it knows that eventually it’ll be a hit.

The time to be lazy and sloppy, well, alas, it’s over, because once this thought is deeply heard, the within becomes unrelenting in its desire to unfold, and the voice within haunts with the words: moment by moment, consciously or unconsciously, our thoughts are creating our life.

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“Our remedies in ourselves do lie which we ascribe to heaven.” – Shakespeare

“What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.” – Otto Rank

“Let a man radically alter his thoughts, and he will be astonished at the rapid transformation it will effect in the material conditions of his life. Men imagine that thought can be kept secret, but it cannot, it rapidly crystallizes into habit, and habit solidifies into circumstance.”
– As a Man Thinketh by James Allen

“We choose our joys and sorrows before we experience them.” – Kahlil Gibran

“. . . We have underestimated ourselves tragically. We are sadly mistaken when we see ourselves as merely temporary bodies instead of timeless spirit; as separate suffering selves instead of blissful Buddhas; as meaningless blobs of matter instead of blessed children of God.”
– Essential Spirituality by Roger Walsh

“All day long the thoughts that occupy your mind, your secret place as Jesus called it, are molding your destiny for good or evil, in fact, the truth is that the whole of our life’s experience is but the outer expression of inner thought.”
– From the Pen of Emmet Fox

“You may be surprised at what seclusion with God will do for your mind, body and soul. . . . Through the portals of silence the healing sun of wisdom and peace will shine upon you.”
– Paramahansa Yogananda