(Episode 30) Best Practices to Boost Your Immune System During the Fall Equinox

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. & Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a celebration across Asian cultures during the Fall season that honors the full moon to bring an abundant harvest season.

Traditionally, mooncakes (dessert pastry with a sweet filling) are baked to be enjoyed with loved ones. It’s a day of gatherings and festivities and considered an important period of transition.


Transitions According to Chinese Calendars

Different calendars have been introduced throughout Chinese history.

Seasonal transitions are governed by the Doyo Period, making the Earth Element the fifth of the Five Elements, often called Late Summer, in the solar calendar. According to the lunar calendar, however, Autumn began back in August and this week marks the midway point of the season (thus the name Mid-Autumn Festival)—setting in motion the beginnings of festivities and harvesting. 


Embracing Seasonal Transitions 

Seasonal transitions, along with any transition you may experience in life—whether it be a new job, relationship or living situation—needs to be accompanied by health support by supporting your Earth element.

Since the Earth element is associated with your digestive system, emphasis is placed on providing adequate support to the digestive system.

Since 70% of the immune system is rooted in the digestive system, by supporting healthy digestion and elimination, we’re cultivating healthy immunity and overall wellbeing. 

According to Chinese Medicine, dampness and heat can impair the digestive system. This can range from lack of heat to break down food properly or lack of proper enzymes to break down food (called Pancreatic Insufficiency).

For people suffering from digestion problems, taking digestive enzymes as well as probiotics can be important for proper function of the digestive system. 


7 Ways to Boost Your Immune System During this Change of Seasons

  1. In order to address dampness, it’s important to control and encourage a healthy microbiome. Fungal overgrowth such as Candida albicans can cause an imbalance in your gut and so can over consumption of sugar. A healthy microbiome can also be encouraged with probiotics. 


  2. As the Fall season starts, dryness becomes more prevalent—from our skin to the air we breathe. Your lungs are especially vulnerable to dryness and you can support hydration through proper cooking methods. Steaming your food is hydrating, as is eating more soups and stews during this time of the year. Congee or rice porridge is another nourishing dish (recipe here) and generally grains such as rice, millet and oats will hydrate the lungs. Baking, barbecuing and frying as well as too much consumption of dry foods such as cereal and wheat should be avoided, especially if you’re experiencing dry skin or gut issues. 


  3. Eating fruits is another way to hydrate the lungs. Since some fruits tend to be high in sugar which can lead to dampness, we can focus on consuming more compact fruits such as apples, Asian pears and pears. Compact fruits tend to be crisp, light and moist which helps to nourish the lungs. 


  4. Supporting healthy digestion of food is also very important. Taking probiotics and digestive enzymes will ensure that you’re receiving the full benefits of the food you’re eating through proper nutrition. 


  5. Eat more root vegetables: since the Metal Element is related to the Fall season, its associated organs such as the skin, Lungs and Large Intestine can suffer if they’re not properly nourished by their mother, which is the Earth Element in the Five Elements model. Issues such as eczema, psoriasis or generally dry skin can be exacerbated with improper diet this season. Root vegetables help nurture your Earth energy, strengthening your Spleen and Stomach which in turn support your Lung health. 


  6. Regardless of how healthy your eat, ensuring freedom and flexibility in your functional anatomy is essential to your health. In Episode 27 of The Natural Healing Podcast, Salvador discusses his personal experience with constant pressure in his chest and radiating pain. By working on the Ancestral Sinews with essential oils, Salvador shared how he was able experience relief. If you’re eating well but still experiencing digestive issues or otherwise, it’s essential to seek healthcare practitioners that can better address your functional anatomy. 


  7. Practice Qi Gong and Yin Yoga. You can practice Yoga to strengthen your lungs or learn to breathe deeply or practice Yoga to boost your metabolism. Qi Gong practices that boost your immunity or strengthen your Heart and Kidneys will only help enhance your health. 


    Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below—what did you find most helpful about this episode?

Be the first to learn about our new line of supplements, including digestive enzymes and probiotics, by visiting www.aharabotanics.com.

(Episode 29) Your Issues are in Your Tissues: How Trauma Can Lead to Chronic Pain with Denise Alberto

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. & Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac.

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below—how is your body speaking to you?

Our guest today is our dear friend, Denise Alberto—a physical therapist and pelvic pain specialist. Denise is a Bay Area native who earned her B.S. in Psychology from St. Mary’s College and holds a Master’s degree in Physical Therapy from University of St. Augustine.

Denise Alberto developed a keen interest in treating the spine, especially the pelvic/SI (sacroiliac) region. With continued education, she has developed a unique approach to treating chronic pain syndrome and pelvic region dysfunction.

Denise Alberto has a distinct passion to help couples with unconsummated marriage and sexual pain issues. In addition, she emphasizes the mind-body connection in her post-traumatic stress recovery and resorts to local practitioners—among them are acupuncturists, chiropractors, massage therapists—to help heal her patients.

Denise Alberto realized her passion for physical therapy early on, as she began working for a physical therapist after graduating from college. She went on to obtain her Master’s in Physical Therapy and started a thriving but demanding practice. It was during her early years of practice as a physical therapist that Denise Alberto realized her own health needed attention.

Denise’s personal journey to address her health led her to a very resourceful course on pelvic health that encouraged her to further pursue the specialty, eventually becoming a pelvic physical therapist. 

Denise emphasizes that in addition to using physical touch during treatments, she encourages patients to face the emotional entanglements of their trauma. It is only through facing these entanglements that we begin to experience emotional and physiological healing.

Denise elaborates that as a therapist she holds room or space for strength so patients are able to process and release wounds that are causing their trauma, especially since patients may feel at their most vulnerable during these moments. 

Chronic pain patterns are often accompanied by uncomfortable feelings or past experiences and Denise believes that additional support is often needed to tackle these feelings as she works with healing the physical body.

In these instances, she turns to other healers like acupuncturists, massage therapists and often refers her patients to psychologists. This holistic approach that aims to empower patients almost always results in healing. 

Practices to help support your body

Diaphragmatic breath: helps relax and support lung function (oxygen exchange).

Pelvic diaphragm breathing: can help move your viscera and ease tension in your organs. 

Psoas stretching: can help improve and strengthen tight or tense psoas muscles.

Yin Yoga: the following Yin Yoga practices can be helpful in improving your flexibility and introducing you to deep breathing:

Breathe Deeply: Yoga for the Lung & Liver Meridians

Yin Yoga Integration to Release Your Arms, Shoulders & Neck

Yin Yoga Integration for Flexibility 

References:

Denise Alberto’s website: https://www.denisealberto.com/

An article by Dr. Mirkin (coined the RICE method) on Why Ice Delays Recovery

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below—how is your body speaking to you?

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(Episode 28) Sexual Healing as a Path to Longevity with Dr. Willow Brown

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. & Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac.

Our guest today is Dr. Willow Brown, an internationally recognized teacher of Daoist sexologist and doctor of Chinese Medicine, who specializes in endocrinology. Her offerings provide a profound understanding of what it means to engage in sacred sexuality and live a sensual life. Dr. Brown has studied the human body and its correspondence with nature for the last two decades. Her style is a blend of many modalities—such as yoga, Qi Gong, acupuncture and cranio-sacral therapy.

Dr. Brown is also an international speaker and author. She has coached thousands of women, men and couples in creating a powerful connection, potent intimacy and prevailing unconditional love. It is her heartfelt desire to serve humanity out of shame, guilt and self-doubt that leads those in pain to her doorsteps. 

Dr. Brown’s path to the healing arts began after gaining a sense of self-empowerment that followed a deeply traumatic event she experienced as a teenager. She felt the need to reform sexual education after realizing the ambiguity and gap in sex knowledge prevalent around her.

After attending acupuncture school, she started teaching Daoist sexology to her patients and students. Dr. Brown learned a great deal about Jing Qi or sexual energy during her six month trip around Asia. Since Jing Qi was not covered in depth in her acupuncture school training, she expanded her knowledge on the topic by consulting books and using her own experience and intuition as a guide. 

The Ancient Wisdom Approach

Dr. Brown calls her treatment framework the Ancient Wisdom Approach, which is based on the four phases of the moon cycle and how they relate to the five Chinese elements (Fire, Wood, Metal, Earth and Water). 

Dr. Brown elaborates that every living being on Earth has a moon cycle as their water contents are being influenced by the moon’s gravitational pull.

The four phases of the moon cycle also relate to the seasons and as women menstruate, they experience fluctuations since the moon exerts its energy on us. It’s a lot of energy to navigate in a short amount of time but when we understand the Chinese elements as they relate to our physiology and the four phases of the moon cycle, we can learn to schedule and manage our life (including sex) much better. Dr. Brown believes the Ancient Wisdom Approach gives people—especially women in their fertile years—a lifeline so when they’re overwhelmed, a structured system exists to help guide them.

It is perfectly normal if a woman’s menstrual cycle doesn’t follow the moon cycle — you can still follow the transition of the seasons and tune into yourself and listen closely to your body and understand its natural rhythms. 

Becoming Sexually Empowered

Dr. Brown’s approach to treating people experiencing difficulty with hormonal changes—whether it’s menopause, perimenopause, postmenopause or andropause—is to trace the root of the problem and really understand if the adrenal glands are being nourished or depleted on a regular basis.

Once the endocrinological aspects of hormones are addressed— either through Chinese medicine, acupuncture, nutrition or just learning about the changes—our sexuality in turn will be much healthier and supported. 

Menopausal syndrome, for instance, is very common in high-stress societies and some of the most common symptoms are often attributed to being “normal”, when in fact they are not. Our essence, or Jing, is compromised when we’re constantly stressed and depleted so it’s crucial to slow down and tune into our body in order to allow it to come back to equilibrium. 

Sexual trauma is also an ever-growing problem in the world and it can have both physical and mental effects. Dr. Brown says it’s not uncommon for patients with past sexual trauma to come in with debilitating diseases, especially conditions that involve the reproductive system. 

Since our genes or curriculum are programmed during the gestational period, trauma can hinder our lower chakra, directly affecting our curriculum and keeping us from unfolding our destined life or keeping us from living a fulfilled life. 

What is Sexual Health & a Technique to Improve It

Sexual health is knowing what brings the most pleasure to you and allowing yourself to explore your natural sexual desires. When sexual health is neglected or out of balance, other realms of your life can suffer. A common problem is low libido. 

Since we’re all products of sexual energy, lack of libido can have a profoundly negative impact on our lives. When the underlying trauma or unexplored aspect of our lives are addressed properly, Dr. Brown finds that people often expand in more ways than they realize. 

Dr. Brown shares a simple but powerful practice that can improve our sexual health called Turtle Breathing. Turtle Breathing lays the foundation for all Daoist sexual practices and it can also tonify your adrenal glands. You can practice turtle breathing while standing or sitting.

Imagine you have a turtle shell on your lower back and as you inhale, you’ll push that imaginary shell toward the space behind you and as you exhale, allow the shell to come back toward your spine. In the beginning, you may find your abdomen more engaged but this will subside as you practice turtle breathing often.

Dr. Brown guides you through the turtle breathing practice at 50:39 of the podcast. 

Sexual energy or orgasmic energy can also be drawn in with a mindful practice like turtle breathing, improving your intimacy and sexual health!

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below—on a scale of 1 to 10, how are you in relationship with your sexuality? What is inhibiting you from being at a 10?

References:

Dr. Willow Brown’s website: https://drwillowbrown.com/

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