How to Honor this Life and Live in Abundant Health

By Jeanne White, MSOM, L.Ac. –

Life is precious. We only live once, as the saying goes. So what do we do with this beautiful gift of life? The body gives us this experience we call life. How are we treating our body? Do we honor this sacred vessel? It is easy to take life for granted. Do we listen to our body’s needs? Do we choose foods that have optimal nutritional value? Do we use products that are non-toxic? It is a tragedy to not appreciate what we have or who we are. To honor this life and enjoy abundant health begins with awareness of ourselves and knowledge of what products we use on our bodies.

We are as durable as we are fragile. How many of us wake up in the morning and give thanks for yet another day of life? How many of us tell ourselves that we love ourselves? It is a wonderful daily practice, but we can often get caught up in the distraction.

fall scents for your home

It is a good reminder to slow down and breathe in the beauty of life with acute awareness. Give thanks and open our hearts to ourselves. As we become more aware of the unique experience we are blessed with, we gain a renewed sense of responsibility for this life and for our body. We start making better choices for ourselves and our body. Let us not wait until our body is sick and signaling us for help before we start taking care of it. In this day and age, there are so many wonderful foods, herbs, supplements, therapies, products, etc… available to us for prevention and treatment of disease and illness.

Today, cancer is on the rise. It is very important to take measures to reduce our risk of cancer. Let us not put toxins in or on the body any longer. Things like cigarette smoke, preservatives, food chemicals, even body lotions, soaps, laundry detergents, household cleaners, air fresheners, shampoos, hairsprays, and cosmetics (the list could go on and on) often contain toxins. It is very important to not overload our bodies with more toxins, when there are already plenty in the environment.

Look closely at all the products that we are using in our households. It is easy to know which ones are toxic. Simply read the labels. When purchasing products and food, look for ingredients that are organic or all natural. Find a good source for health foods in your community. Educate yourself with all the wonderful options for body care, household products, foods, etc… Most natural household cleaners smell far more pleasant than the chemical ones; and they clean more effectively with their essential oils that happen to be anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.

For example, look for shampoo that does not contain sodium laurel sulfate (SLS). SLS is a foaming agent that does not wash out of hair or clothes. It is also in common laundry detergent, and is toxic. It weighs down hair and gets into the blood stream, via the skin.

Many laundry detergents have synthetic fragrances. These synthetic fragrances are composed of chemicals that are highly toxic. We put them next to our skin and breathe them into our lungs. There is arguably a strong correlation between the rise in cancer and increasing amounts of toxins we are exposing to our bodies. Laundry detergents with synthetic fragrances are simply another way we are exposing our bodies to toxins.

Remember that our skin is the largest organ of the body. Once we become fully aware of this fact, we will hopefully look at products that we put on our skin, and in our bodies, very differently. So treat the body with love and awareness to nourish and protect it from the inside out. And please, walk each step with gratitude. Love and appreciation can do much healing.

Jeanne Normand White, MSOM, L.Ac. is a licensed acupuncturist in Ashland, OR. She specializes in the resolution of pain, palliative treatments for cancer patients and cosmetic acupuncture – called Bio-Radiance Acupuncture that returns skin to its youthful appearance – diminishing wrinkles, lifts sagginess, and improves elasticity. http://www.siskiyouclinic.com/.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

How to Honor this Life and Live in Abundant Health
Scroll to Top