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Yay Herb Clubs!

5/22/2016

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This week I was invited to give a presentation at the Tamanend Herb Club in Southampton PA. We made Echinacea Tinctures and Immune Boosting Pastilles (aka cookie dough balls). It was SO MUCH FUN! The club was super engaged, asked lots of great questions, really had fun getting their hands dirty (so to speak) making the tincture and sampling the pastilles. A great time was had by all. If you live up that way you should check them out!
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I love a good messy table!
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Tincture making
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Tips for Before Your First Pilates Class

5/19/2016

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Welcome to Pilates. I'm your instructor, Paula Billig. This is your first Pilates class? Great!

Here are some tips before you start, based on my 10 years worth of teaching new students. I teach Reformer Pilates at Wholistics in North Wales PA, but these are the kinds of things that should help newbies at most any Pilates studio.
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The Reformer Nook at Wholistics

1. The Clothes Make the Workout. Sort of.

Some people find that cute matching outfits, pants and tops and jackets and sports bras and hair ties and water bottles all coordinating, seriously motivate them. If that's you, super. You've found your muse.

Me, personally, I don't care if you work out in your pajamas. Holes, stains, mismatching socks, lack of pedicures- they don't affect your workout or me. The only thing that bothers me are stinky feet, and there's soap in the bathroom if you find yourself in an unfortunate footwear situation.

What does matter is Range of Motion. Pilates clothes should give, without being baggy- you don't want them to catch on the machine's moving parts.

You can wear tights, yoga pants, even tight shorts or tennis skorts, though be aware that rear zippers can be sharp and you may need to put something between it and the machine. 

Tops run the gamut from tight exercise tank tops to the free giveaway tee shirts everybody ends up stashing in drawers. Long sleeves, jackets and fleece tops also make seasonal appearances.

It's also worth noting that we'll do big stretches and leg circle work, so making sure you have real exercise pants, and not footless fashion tights that go transparent at full extension, is a good idea too.

2. Flexible Footwear Only

No shoes here! Pilates is practiced barefoot, or in grippy socks, or in fuzzy socks with pompoms, or in fancy foot coverings with ribbons up the ankles.

You'll be doing footwork to stretch and strengthen your all of you, including the 33 odd bones and joints in the feet and ankles. Shoes are designed to immobilize (aka "support") your foot. Pilates and shoes don't play well together.

Plus, eww. Your feet will go the same places you'll sit, lean, and lie on. No bird poop or asphalt dirt or other outside bits on the Pilates machines, please.

3. Arrive Early the First Time

You'll have forms to fill out. At Wholistics, I have a Pilates form for you, and the center has one that you'll need to fill out too if you didn't already. (If you signed up online you already did.)

This also gives you a chance to check out the center, find the bathroom, and observe the ease and joy with with other clients sign in and prepare for their classes! What a wonderful place you've found! Such bliss, and so accommodating and supportive!

4. Ask the Stupid Questions

I try to anticipate what you're experiencing so I can correct or validate what you're doing. But when something doesn't make sense, or what I've said isn't computing, pleasepleaseplease ask.

This goes for questions like, "The ill-ee-oh-what??" Or, "When do I breathe again?" But also for, "Where is the ball of my foot?" and, "Isn't this my right hand? Oh, it's not..."

There are no stupid Pilates questions. I have clients that have been doing this for years suddenly realize they just don't remember a what, where, or why. Let's clear it up right now! Plus I LOVE answering questions and getting to expound upon just about anything. Bonus points if I get to pull out my Anatomy textbook. Seriously. Ask your classmates, they'll roll their eyes. But they know where the sciatic nerve goes and what the iliopsoas is...

5. Any Level Can Start Pilates Today

You're not too old. Or uncoordinated. Or inflexible. Or anything.  If you can make it up the few stairs to Wholistics' front door, you can do Pilates. (Using the ramp after class is optional!)

I say this only partially in jest. If your knees or other parts don't let you take 5-6 stairs, you may need more initial help than I can give you. Not to worry, though, Wholistics has a wonderful physical therapist who does both PT and medically-based personal training to get you ready.

Most people start Pilates with our 2-class Introductory Session package, though some prefer private sessions. The Intro sessions allow you to experience our small group or "semi-private" classes. You'll be in a real live Pilates class, and I'll make sure you don't fall off the machine or anything.

I'm kidding!

But you really will get to try 2 real classes, with all the variety and permutations that entails. (And no matter how uncoordinated or silly you feel, rest assured that no one can see you anyway since we do so much lying down.) After your first class, doing strange movements will be old hat.

Our Pilates clients run the gamut of ages (20's to 80's), activity levels (never exercised to athletes), injuries and recovery stages (just post-rehab to decades-old aches), even interest levels ("my Dr said I have to" to "I've always wanted to do this!") It's easy to fit in, since everybody is there with their own differences.

6. Tell Me If It Hurts

I am a connoisseur of 'hairy eyeballs'- the dirty looks people throw me when they're working reeeely hard. I love em, the hairier the better. You can yell at me, or complain, or just lay there and sweat. It's all great.

But when your back hurts, when your neck strains, when the knees aren't right, when something hurts in the wrong way, we need to stop that quickly. It's much better for you to end a few reps early, or to take a break, readjust, and return to the set properly, than it is for you to push through with bad form and bad pain.

You're in Pilates to learn, among other things, control and stability. Some days one or both stayed at home in the bathroom cabinet. There are endless modifications for everything, and you don't need to feel that by modifying an exercise you're necessarily making it easier. We'll make it easier for what isn't working right that day, but the rest of you will still work!

7. There's No Prize for Speed

Pilates isn't competitive; or if it is, you're only competing with yourself. How much smaller can I make my pulses? How much more can I lengthen that leg? How much higher can I curl? How much better can I do this thing without forgetting to also do all the other things?

You'll learn precise control, amazing control, of your whole body. Everything from your golf game to lifting a basket onto the conveyor belt at the grocery store will feel different and be executed more strongly. Sitting at work becomes a practice in posture because it's more comfortable that way. Yes, your clothes will fit differently and your body shape will change with Pilates, but the inside of your body will change too and that just feels cool.

Take Pilates at your own speed. Do your moves more slowly till you learn them. Try them faster to challenge your control. Then slower again because that makes it harder. Then try them on lighter springs because that's even more difficult. I tell my students frequently, "The lighter the spring, the more the core."

So there's no prize for rushing through a sequence to just get it done. But you'll love the prize you get for working as much of you as you can, as best you can, on every repetition. Until you experience it for yourself, just take my word for it. Or don't, and ask your classmates! Drop a little question like "So what do you think Pilates is doing for you?" into a quiet moment and see what you get. It's hard to explain but everyone loves trying.


Are you already loving Pilates? Feel free to share your own nuggets of wisdom. Words from Pilates students and devotees really resonate with their experiences.
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Overheard at Pilates #1

5/18/2016

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"Somehow, there's something about Pilates that makes you forget where your elbows are."

Truth.
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Living Naturally Tip #2: 'Wash' Your Face with Oil

5/16/2016

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Don't run away screaming!

It's a real thing to clean your face with oil, and it makes real sense. Your face produces oil, and like dissolves like. So massaging oil onto your face will dissolve excess oil, bind up dirt (there's a pH thing going on here), and moisturize at the same time.

So, what, you just rub oil on your face?

Well, yes.

The type of oil varies, and the best way to discover your skin's favorite is to experiment a little. Start with oils you have at home: olive, coconut, nut oils, grapeseed, sesame, castor, even argan or jojoba if you have it for your hair. Use single plant oils so you know how each reacts. (You can blend later). Use organic whenever you can, as this is sensitive skin.

Wet a washcloth with warm water and rub your face to soften and warm it up. Pour a little oil in your hand. (This is not an exact science. Too little and you won't feel oil smoothing around your face. Too much and it'll drip so you'll have to clean the bathroom. You'll figure it out.)

Then, "wash" your face with your hands! Massage the oil in and enjoy the pampering.  Rewet the washcloth and hold it over your face to 'steam' it a little, when you're done. Then use the washcloth to wipe excess oil and dirt away (choose a washcloth that can become your dedicated oil cloth.) Enjoy your smooth, healthful glow. You can even use a little more to re-moisturize after wiping your face off.

Benefits to oil washing include: reduced blemishes, as blocked or dried oil ducts are dissolved. Moisturized skin. Thorough makeup removal. No dryness or stripping of skin thanks to soap removing all oil. Happiness with your new, crunchy, skill.

My Favorite Blends

Makeup Remover
1 part organic UNTOASTED Sesame oil
1 part (or less) Castor oil

Rub them together in your palms and apply. Pay attention to eyes and lashes to get makeup off. Sometimes I'll dab a cotton swab on the oil before I start massaging to clean off my eyes, sometimes I forget and use my gentlest fingers. It's a good idea to remove contact lenses first.

Exfoliating Oil Wash
1 part Coconut oil
1 part (or less) baking soda
a drop or 2 of essential oils, optional

Scoop the Coconut oil into your storage jar. Soften the Coconut oil if your house is cool by placing it in a warm place -the stove, a heating vent, near a lightbulb. Add the baking soda and essential oils if using, then mix to form a paste. I keep this one in the shower.
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Exfoliating Oil Wash
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Self Forgiveness

5/15/2016

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This week handed my butt to me on a platter. Just served it right up. It was a great week, busy and exciting, but I ended up not writing any posts like I promised I would.

I started to get all in a twist about it, then I stepped back. Some days I just don't have words in me to write, only to speak. And I speak to LOTS of people in a week! Some days I do have writing words, like today, and I'll get them out.

I apologize for the dead air this week. But I also encourage you to practice self-forgiveness when you encounter your own dead air. It's OK to take a shower or get 30 extra minutes of sleep or make a hot meal or even get a hair cut, instead of doing something else you ought to. It'll be there when you get back. 

Also today, a spring time picture! I spy with my little eye...
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Sleeeeeep

5/8/2016

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“I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I'm awake, you know?”
― Ernest Hemingway


Sleep is a great mystery. We don't know exactly why it is that we sleep, or how it happens. And the trade in sleep remedies is huge!

While  there are lots of herbs that help people sleep in various ways, sometimes I find myself just not wanting to get up and find them. Sometimes I'm almost there, almost asleep, but I can't quite do it. Here's a technique that has helped me innumerable times:

First, check for tension. In me, it's in my hands. If my hands are closed, not even in fists but gently balled up, I won't sleep.

Then, I count my exhales. On each one, I try to relax more. Almost inevitably I lose count, which is fine. I just start over. If I get to 10, I roll over and start again. Usually, I don't make it that far.

Something about focusing my mind and actively relaxing just shuts me off. May it help you too!
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Ginger Honey Crystals

5/7/2016

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Do you know about Ginger Honey Crystals? They are a serious happy-making item!

I'm pretty independent, and I value self sufficiency, and and and- pour a packet of these magic babies into a mug, add hot water, and you have one happy Paula. Especially tonight, when it's chilly and damp. Ahhh.

Just honey, and ginger. Fantastic.


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Living Naturally Tip #1- Coconut Oil Deodorant

5/6/2016

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PictureNot the best picture, but here's my coconut oil deodorant and pit-powder jars!
Coconut oil as deodorant. Reeeeeely, you say with skepticism. Yes, really!

Coconut oil is naturally anti-microbial (do a Google search. You'll find plenty of sources) which makes it an easy and effective odor barrier. Body odor comes from the waste products of microbes on your skin that thrive in dampness, and using an anti-microbial to stop the stink seems much safer than using aluminum to block sweat pores in the first place. Blocking body functions rarely ends well, in my experience.

I've had all sorts of problems with anti-antiperspirants/deodorants since puberty. I've tried the strong ones, the crystal ones, the 'natural' ones. I've layered products, I've sprinkled powders, I'd just about given up.

So I tried making my own and surprise surprise, it worked perfectly.

For exactly 24 hours.

24 hours and 1 minute later, stinkola.

Here's what I do. It's a 2 step process. That's not the end of the world, Take a little time for yourself!

First, the oil. I melt coconut oil and put it in a reused small jar, like a washed out face cream or mini-mustard jar. I add some liquid vitamin E for its additional anti-microbial properties and just to be nice to my arm pit skin. I also add a few drops of Lavender essential oil. I like Lavender, and it's also anti-microbial (as are most essential oils.) Shake it up to mix and done.

To apply, I scoop up about an index finger nail's worth, assuming it's rehardened. In the summer time, 2 fingers dipped in is usually enough. Arm up, rub it in, repeat other side. There you go.

I follow with a dusting of powder, a mix of cornstarch, baking soda and arrowroot powders, using an old clean makeup brush. These help absorb some dampness, and any accidental odors.

However, I don't use the powder in the summertime when I'm wearing tank tops. I find that I get a friction burn around the edges of my pits, and the skin there feels grainy like the powder, when I don't have a shirt to brush off excess. And I still don't smell! My theory is that the exposed pits (in tank tops) dry faster than shirt-covered ones, so the oil is enough.

None of my clothes are stained by using these products, either the oil or the powder. I've been making my own deodorant for over 2 years now. The only time it failed me was when I had a little cleansing episode last fall and everything about me stank. Whatever left my body that time did so by all means possible, and all I could do was shower more to wash it off!

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Essential Oils, in the Tub

5/5/2016

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I’ve been hearing lots of misinformation about essential oils lately. Some is simple lack of knowledge, and some is scary to me.

Recently, I was talking with someone (who?? I can’t remember! I’m sorry, but thanks for the topic inspiration!)

Anyway, we were discussing essential oils, I think the person was using them on the skin. In the conversation that followed, it turned out that this person had been advised (“it said”, so the bottle’s instructions? A pamphlet?) to use another liquid like water to dilute the EO.

HOLD THE PHONE. Nowhere in this universe does water dilute oil. Ever heard the phrase, they go together like oil and water? There’s a reason for that! They DON’T.

Essential oils are extracted by steam distillation. Plant matter is put in a still, heat is applied and steam rises into a cooling coil- hey, detailists, this is the simple version! So, the steam cools and the water (this is a “flower water”) dumps into a container, while the oil-based fragrance parts of the plant separates from the water and voila! Essential oil drips into a separate container. You can see essential oils when you peel an orange in the sunlight- bend the peel backwards and look for a fine mist to spray from it. That’s the EO, and why you will smell oranges right away.

Contrast that with vegetable oils, from nuts and seeds like Olive, Avocado, Coconut and all the other oils you can buy more cheaply (relatively) and in quantity. They are squished under lots of pressure to expel the oil, which is strained out and bottled.

Both methods can produce oils of varying quality, and both can use synthetic chemicals to improve yield. And it’s tough to locate and trust good suppliers of oils. There was a big olive oil scandal a few years ago, where different companies were analyzed and it was determined that many, if not most, of the readily available olive oils were not what they claimed to be. By the same token, essential oils can be adulterated with synthetic chemicals or outright be synthetic themselves- remember, you get what you pay for. Orange EO is plentiful. However, it takes 40-60 Roses to make a single drop of its EO, so is MUCH more expensive.

Are you confused about essential oils vs regular/vegetable/cooking oils? How can you keep the two types of oil clear in your head, you wonder? Easy! Booze!

Hard liquor is made in much the same way as EOs, with distillation of a mash. And like EOs, hard liquor is more costly, usually purchased in smaller quantities, and lasts a long time.

Vegetable oils are pressed like cider apples. Both produce large quantities, are cheap to get compared to liquor/EOs, and go bad if not properly stored. True, some methods of going bad produce hard cider (yum!) whereas bad vegetable oils are rancid and nothing good comes of that. But still. When trying to remember which oil is which, think "Liquor or Cider?"

All this makes the point that Essential Oils really are oil, and do NOT dilute in water.

I was recently talking with a nurse friend of mine (I remember who that is! Hi L!) She was telling a story about a hospice patient she had- the family had been taken in by one of the big EO multilevel marketing companies, who push EOs in all sorts of applications and just got censured by the government for blatantly suggesting unsafe usage. You know the ones?

Well, the family was feeding my friend’s patient a mix of essential oils that had been promised to cure him, IN A GLASS OF WATER. She said there was a thick layer of oil sitting on top of the water, and she was horrified to imagine how it burned the patient’s mouth and throat and esophagus and stomach and intestines, but there was nothing she could do. The family was convinced this was the cure and their ‘consultant’ had told them so.

If you’re not familiar with using essential oils, if you're not sure why drinking EOs is horrifying, just follow this simple guideline:

ALWAYS DILUTE

Think of liquor- if you’re not used to drinking it, start with mixed drinks, not a straight glass of bourbon.

Some EOs are perfectly safe neat- that is, directly on the skin. Some are even safe internally. But if you don’t already know which ones, do more research and dilute them ALL for now. Many will cause burns, rashes, or other unpleasant or harmful reactions. These are super concentrated products.

What does dilute Essential Oils? More oil.

Those vegetable oils we discussed become what’s called ‘carrier oils’. You add a few drops of EO to a small amount of, say, jojoba oil, and you have a fabulous massage oil.

Now to the point of this whole post, which came to me tonight in the bath- what if you want to use EOs in the tub? You can dilute them in more oil, but won’t they still just sit on top of the water?

YES! Now you’re thinking! And imagine how you enter the tub, what delicate parts enter the water as you sit down. Ugh. You don’t want a dollop of concentrated oil, diluted or otherwise, sticking there. So what’s a bath fan to do? Here’s a more accurate rule to go by:

DILUTE OR DISPERSE

EOs will disperse in whole milk. There’s enough fat (read, OIL) in full fat milk that whisking in a few drops of EO will break them up into tiny particles that will hang onto the milk fat particles, preventing EO burns.

You can also use salt (sea, pink, Epsom…) Put salt in a bowl, add a few drops of EO, and mash it all together really well. Something about the chemical structure of the crystals and the oil, I don’t know, there’s chemistry involved, but it works with sugar too. Then add the whole thing to the tub.

That’s it! Use EOs safely by remembering to DILUTE OR DISPERSE them, and go take a long soak in a deep tub.


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Do New Things

5/4/2016

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Yesterday my acupuncturist issued me a challenge: Do new things, and report back to her at my June appointment!

Getting into the spirit of the idea, I'm declaring a 30 Day Blogging Challenge for myself. Everyday I'll post something.

Today, it's a picture from a Spring Plant Walk held at a local park last weekend, hosted by the American Herbalist's Guild and local herbalist Sarah Washington. The park isn't safe to eat from thanks to local industry, but I saw some unfamiliar plants like Solomon's Seal, plus all our usual friends like the Violets and Dandelion in this shot. Love your weeds!
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    Fun Fact: I'm an herbalist and a movement coach. Not a doctor, or a pharmacist, and not pretending to be one on TV.

    This is a public space, so my writing reflects my experiences and I try to stay general enough so it might relate to you. This does not constitute medical advice, and I encourage you to  discuss concerns with your doctor. Remember, however, that the final say in your wellness decisions are always yours- you have the power to choose, you are the boss of you.

    And, some of my posts may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them I'll earn a few cents. Thank you for supporting my work. 

    This website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical, mental health or healthcare advice.  The information presented here is not intended to diagnose, treat, heal, cure or prevent any illness, medical condition or mental or emotional condition.  Working with us is not a guarantee of any results.  Paula Billig owns all copyrights to the materials presented here unless otherwise noted. 

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Disclaimer

This website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical, mental health or healthcare advice.  The information presented here is not intended to diagnose, treat, heal, cure or prevent any illness, medical condition or mental or emotional condition.  Working with us is not a guarantee of any results.  Paula Billig owns all copyrights to the materials presented here unless otherwise noted.  
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