Create Success With an Open Third Eye

The Third Eye Chakra is located in the brain, at the brow, above the nose.

The energy of this chakra is purple and allows us to experience clear thought as well as gifts of spiritual contemplation and self-reflection. Through the gift of seeing we can internalize the outer world and with symbolic language we can externalize the inner world.

The energy of this chakra allows us to access our inner guidance that comes from the depths of our being. It allows us to cut through illusion and to access deeper truths - to see beyond the mind, beyond the words.
The "way of the third eye" is seeing everything as it is from a point of "witness" or "observer", or from simply being mindful - moment by moment. It means examining self-limiting ideas and developing wisdom that comes from a perspective that transcends the duality of good or bad, black or white. It means seeing and helping others to see the deeper meanings of the situations in their lives.

When this chakra is fully activated, both hemispheres of the brain function in synchrony. The right hemisphere's creativity and synthetic thinking is integrated and balanced with left hemisphere's logical and analytical thinking.

The Third Eye is not only the seat of wisdom, but also a seat of conscience. This is where you not only see what is going on, but you also know what it means. This is where your sense of justice and your ethics originate. It is also where you purify nagtivity, and release selfishness. With an open third eye people are not materialist nor afraid of death. When it is blocked people are afraid of success and can be egoistical. Eye problems, headaches, face, brain, lymphatics issues are all due to a blocked third eye.

The chakracise for the third eye is to rub it in a circular motion clockwise 10 times, then counterclockwise 10 times and then clockwise 10 more times all while practicing gratitude. You can spray lavender essential oil on the third eye as well. And the stones that help it are amethyst, lapis lazuli and sodalite. Yoga poses for the third eye are downward facing dog and thunderbolt pose.

If you are interested in purchasing the Third Eye chakra purple glasses just email me and let me know at info@healingartsnyc.com! $30 plus shipping.

Third eye chakra affirmation:

Close your eyes and you will see there is wisdom deep inside
Look within and Be still know that I am with you
Appreciate my presence see past the darkness and find the way to all eternity
Listen and you will see visions, messages from beyond, a glimpse of Divine Wisdom
Wait quietly, focus your intention to see within
There is a realm of possibilities to discover abounding with insight
Imagine a beautiful display of colors, indigo will be there of course, swirling images appearing, reflecting kernels of truth
Discover the music inside of you
Feel the joy
Dance your way into enlightenment
You have insight, intuition and wisdom beyond belief
Believe
Close your eyes and you will see

11 Tips on How to Sleep Better

How much sleep do you need? Sleep is a very controversial issue. Here is my best to answer such a such a hard question. For most people 7-9 hours is an ideal amount of sleep, with more people requiring 9 vs. 7. Inadequate sleep disrupts health in many ways leading to hormonal and metabolic imbalances, accelerated aging, increased onset and severity of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, memory, loss and more. Insomnia is an epidemic as 25% of Americans have it occasionally and 10% have it chronic. So if you are suffering from lack of sleep know that you are not the only one!

Tips


1) Try to get to bed before 11pm. Your body performs the majority of its repair and recovery during 11pm-1am. The gallbladder dumps toxins during this time. If you are awake the toxins back up into the liver and then to your blood stream. If you are asleep toxins go where they should which is into the large intestine to be taken out through the bowels.
2) Go to bed and wake up same time each day, even on weekends. This rhythm makes it easier to fall asleep and get up
3) Sleep in complete darkness. If not, the pineal glands production of melatonin gets disrupted. You can get black out blinds, shades or a sleep mask
4) Avoid TV before bed. TV is stimulating to the brain which disrupts the pineal gland making it harder to fall asleep or sleep well. The same goes for reading material that is stimulating. If you read before bed read books that are relaxing and peaceful. Also turn off other electronics so no electromagnetic frequencies can disturb your sleep such as cellphones and computers.



5) Wear socks to bed because our feet have the poorest circulation cold feet can disrupt sleep.
6) Avoid using loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on the body to wake up with a sudden loud noise. Ideally, you should sleep until your body naturally awakens, making an alarm clock unnecessary. If you need an alarm use a dawn simulator which gradually emits light to full intensity over 45 minutes, much like the sun. This way you don’t start the day in fight or flight mode.
7) If you lie in bed with your mind racing it might be helpful to keep a journal and write down your thoughts before bed. This allows you to download your disturbing thoughts to paper and clear your mind. Breathing helps too. I like using Coherent breathing.
8) Avoid caffeine and other stimulants because they can have a long lasting stimulatory effect on your nervous system
9) If you wake up in the night to urinate, don’t drink any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed.
10) Take a hot bath or shower for about 30 minutes right before bed. Heat has a relaxing effect on the body. Use lavender essential oil in bath, body wash or pillow spray.
11) Don’t eat right before bed. The body trying to digest can impair sleep. Worse is eating grains and sugar or alcohol which causes a spike in blood sugar and then the crash. When the body crashes sleep isn’t as deep and in severe cases you wake up in the middle of the night and need to eat something. Sleep eating occurs in severe cases. Also avoid foods which you are sensitive to. This is particularly true for dairy and wheat products as they may have negative effects on sleep, such as apnea, excess congestion, stomach upset and gas.

Best Natural Sunscreen!

Picking out a sunscreen can be so confusing. Have you ever tried to read the back of a sunscreen bottle? There are a lot of big words. So let's make it easier for you. The healthiest sunscreens need to be free of Parabens, Phthalates, PEG’s (polyethylene glycols), Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, SLS/SLES, and other chemicals I won’t bother listing but basically, they should contain a considerable amount of natural ingredients. The sunscreen ingredient I mainly recommend avoiding is the synthetic chemical oxybenzone. Oxybenzone is an endocrine disruptor which can affect the nervous system, has been linked to cancer in some laboratory studies, and creates free-radicals when exposed to the sun which are harmful. I prefer Zinc Oxide over Titanium Dioxide. There have been some studies done that could classify Titanium Dioxide as carcinogenic to humans. At Healing Arts we spend a lot of time during the summer detoxing people of titanium so best to stay away!

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has researched thousands of sunscreens and given each one a score of 1-10 with 1 being the healthiest and 10 being the most toxic.  The science is listed for reference to explain why each product got its certain score.  We highly suggest you use a sunscreen that got a score of 1-3.  To see what your sunscreen's score is, click here.

Micronized vs Nano: There have been many reports that micronized vs. nano particles of titanium dioxide or zinc oxide have the ability to pass through the skin more easily (which is why they aren’t as white as others). There is also a concern that nano titanium dioxide/zinc oxide particles have higher photo-reactivity than coarser particles and may generate free radicals that can cause cell damage. Some manufacturers have addressed this issue by coating the particles to prevent free radical formation. I am comfortable recommending sunscreens with Micronized zinc (most natural zinc sunscreens ARE). NANO zinc or titanium is something I feel should be avoided.

So after all my research I think Badger Sunscreen SPF 30 for the win!  They also have a Baby Sunscreen version that is great too for infants and kids.  The EWG gives it a score of 1.  It's a white cream that rubs on clear!  It's so easy to apply you’ve got to try it to believe it! There is a tester in the office so you can try it. Perfect for the beach, swimming and light activity, this broad-spectrum formula is in a gentle, antioxidant-rich Sunflower Oil base.

• Lightweight and moisturizing with no added fragrance—great for all skin types.

• 98% certified organic ingredients.

• Broad-spectrum – excellent UVA/UVB protection.

• Water-resistant for at least 40min.

• Family-friendly, reef-friendly and biodegradable.

• Free from anything harsh or artificial, including fragrances, dyes, parabens, petrolatum, GMOs, and synthetics.

• Made in the USA and certified cruelty-free.

Active Sunscreen Ingredient: Uncoated Non-nano Zinc Oxide 18.75%

Base Ingredients:
Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Beeswax, Sunflower Vitamin E & Organic Seabuckthorn Extract.

If you have a natural one that you love please let me know! I'm always interested in what patients try and like. If you have one you are not sure of bring it in and we can muscle test it to see what your body says even if it does have a score of 1 with the EWG. 

How to Express the Throat Chakra

If your Throat Chakra is STRONG, you are good at voicing out your thoughts, ideas and emotions to those around you. You're admired for your willpower and strong communication skills, and your conviction to speak the truth, even if it may be uncomfortable to some. Your career and personal life are enriched as a result.
If your Throat Chakra is WEAK or CLOSED, you constantly feel like nobody cares about your opinions, and that you have nothing of value to say. You're likely to be known as the 'quiet one' in your professional and social circles, and you frequently settle with following other people's opinions. You may suffer from a sore throat or thyroid problems.

In general, the throat chakra is blue in color and is about transformation and healing. It gives to change through speech, writing and thoughts. Besides a closed throat chakra affecting the throat and thyroid it can also affect the neck, skin, ears, general inflammation, back pain, and teeth.

Energetically, gemstones that help the throat chakra are aquamarine, azurite, turquoise and lapis lazuli.



If you are interested in purchasing the throat chakra blue glasses just email me and let me know at info@healingartsnyc.com! $30 plus shipping.

Stored anger from solar plexus is released here. Anger itself is not a bad thing. It helps us know when something needs to change. How anger is expressed is when we get ourselves into trouble with others. When we feel anger we either act on it right away, raising our voice or ignore it and bury it deep down. The key is to express what it is that is making you angry in a self controlled way without emotion. So the next time you feel angry:
1) stop and think to figure out the real cause of anger
2) accept it or change it. Most of the time the change needs to come from within, not without
3) take appropriate steps to change. If the change needs to occur within, inner work can include a change in belief, a reframing of a situation by putting yourself in the other person's shoes, meditation, journaling, talk therapy, exercise, etc.
4) if without, agree on a time to sit down with the other person. Pick a neutral time when neither of you are emotional and explain how the situation isn't meeting your needs and what change you would like to happen. Explain what it is you feel you need and if the other person needs anything from you to make that happen. Hopefully the other person is able and willing to listen and make changes. If he/she isn't then it is not a partnership but someone wanting power over you. It would be best to draw boundaries further away from that person if you can.

The throat chakra is healed by sound. So chanting is a good thing to do if you have a weak throat chakra. If you are new to chanting then start with 'Om' for 5 minutes and see how it feels. Gargling with salt water, singing, screaming (pillow therapy), and laughing also help. Laughing actually helps all chakras.

Each chakra responds to a certain musical note. The throat chakra corresponds to the note “G”. Signing bowls are an easy way to create a note and are fun to play with. You can use it is before meditation to set the mood and after meditation to seal in the good energy.

Foods that nourish your throat chakra are liquids in general: water, fruit juices, herbal teas. Tart or tangy fruits: lemons, limes, grapefruit, kiwi. Other tree growing fruits: apples, pears, plums, peaches, apricots, etc. Spices include: salt, and lemon grass.

Raquel Reis's Lemon Elixir I posted last week would be perfect for the throat chakra!

The following poses help open and balance your throat chakra:
1) Plow Pose, Halasana

This posture provides very strong opening for both throat and heart chakras.

Both the throat and the heart are protected in the front and exposed and opened at the back.

This is different from how we usually open the throat or heart chakra. Most of the time we open the front of the body. We are doing something new here. Changing our pattern of opening.

The posture is called the plow pose, because symbolically, we are "plowing" through the field to implant new patterns of behavior which serve us better in our lives.

You may find that you will need a folded towel underneath your shoulders.

Lie on your back with your arms by your side. Breathe in.
On an out breath, bend your knees and bring your thighs up towards your belly.
Engage your core muscles and lift your bottom off the floor.
Place your heads on your lower back and begin to straighten your legs upwards.
Stabilize in this posture and take a few breaths. Allow your face, scalp, and neck to release. Observe your breath.
When you feel you released tension from your face, neck and shoulders and your breathing is even and steady, slowly drop one leg behind your head.
If your breath remains steady, drop the other leg behind your head.
Hold the posture for few breaths and visualize your throat and heart chakra gently opening to the power and flow of energy.

2) Fish Pose, Matsyasana

With this throat chakra yoga pose, you open the front of your neck. When you are in this pose, visualize blue light coming into your throat chakra. See your chakra spinning and vibrating with energy.

Feel the power of self-expression in your throat. Visualize yourself in a situation where you want to express yourself and your feelings. Feel your own truth.




Sit on the floor with your legs fully extended in front of you.
Place your hands on the floor behind you, with your fingertips just underneath your buttocks.
Slowly move your elbows out of the way and allow the head to go back. Always maintain control, never allow the head to just flop back.
Level yourself on the crown so you feel supported.
Continue moving your arms out of the way.
You can either let your arms rest at your side, or you can bring your palms together over your heart in a prayer position. This will enhance the flow of prana in the upper body.

Cobra Pose and Camel Pose are not only for opening your heart chakra, but also excellent throat chakra yoga poses as well.