Activating a Healthy Response Using Chinese Herbs and Flower Essences

2. Activating a Healthy Response Using Chinese Herbs and Flower Essences Steven Horne

3. Activation Principle • Besides building the body with good nutrition and cleansing the body to remove toxins, we also need to activate a person’s ability to achieve better health. • This is done by helping them learn to deal with the mental and emotional stress they face and cope with life with a positive mental attitude and healthy emotions • Activating a healthy response is important because it also helps people eat healthier and otherwise take better care of themselves

4. Chinese Five Elements • Wood • Fire • Earth • Metal • Water

5. 5-Emotions

6. Wood Element • Energy of youth, life and growth • Desire to be free to pursue our desires (will) • Manifests positively as growth, expansion, development, drive, goal-setting and ambition • When thwarted, wood energy becomes anger, irritability, jealousy and discouragement

7. Emotions Associated with Wood Excess Deficient Being weak-willed, putting other people’s needs ahead of one’s own Lose/Win Attitude Feeling “run down,” discouraged, low energy levels Feeling resentful, resigned Unable to stand up for oneself • Being will-full, wanting one’s will fulfilled at the expense of others • Win/Lose attitude • Anger, irritability • Losing one’s temper, shouting and arguing • Feeling frustrated, thwarted and stifled

8. Symptoms Associated with Wood Excess Deficient Anemia, fatigue Difficulty getting to sleep, difficulty waking up PMS symptoms or moodiness Heavy menstrual bleeding (women) Depressed, discouraged feelings Hypochondriac feelings Frequent skin conditions • Fatigue in the mornings, groggy, difficulty waking up • Occasional Sleeplessness, difficulty falling asleep • Vague symptoms • Bitter taste in the mouth • Stiff and achy muscles due to exercise and overuse.

9. Balancing Wood Energy

10. Fire Element • Energy of adulthood, joy and excitement • Desire to find happiness, pleasure and passion in life • Manifests positively as happiness, enthusiasm and positivity • When thwarted it becomes nervousness, restlessness, mania, excesses, confusion, fatigue and “burn-out”

11. Emotions Associated with Fire Excess Deficient Feeling overwhelmed (like you just can’t cope or “take it anymore”) Loss of joy, excitement or enthusiasm Feeling tired, withdrawn, loss of the ability to “get up and go” Difficulty getting motivated or inspired Restless sleep with disturbed dreams • Feeling manic (like you can do anything) • Excessive excitement, enthusiasm and optimism • Restless, high strung, always on the go, can’t sit still • Difficulty relaxing, getting quiet, meditating or otherwise being calm

12. Symptoms Associated with Fire Excess Deficient Feeling overwhelmed, burned out and unable to cope with life Muddled thinking, confusion, forgetfulness, absent-mindedness Waking up frequently, restless dreams, night sweats Loss of sexual desire Extreme fatigue, reduced immune response • Mania, being unrealistic and unreasonable, overly optimistic • Highly volatile emotionally • Anxious, nervous, dizzy or light-headed • Hyper personality, talks too fast, fidgets, restless, always on the go • Thrill-seeking, craves excitement and stimulation

13. Balancing Fire Energy

14. Earth Element • Linked with the ability to absorb and transform, to concentrate and empathize • Enables both concentration and empathy • Manifests positively as faith, trust, belief and honesty with self and others (being “real” or “down to earth”) • When thwarted it results in worry, being overly pre-occupied with ourselves or with others

15. Emotions Associated with Earth Excess Deficient Excessive empathy or concern for the welfare of others Worry and obsessive thoughts about family members and friends Lack of clear boundaries between our concerns and the concerns of others • Concentrating too hard on things like study or work, obsessive pre-occupation with any activity (pensive) • Lack of connection with one’s body, not being grounded • Being excessively pre-occupied with self

16. Symptoms Associated with Earth Excess Deficient Poor muscle tone or thin and unable to gain weight Occasional bloating, intestinal irritation, leaky gut syndrome Low energy levels Loss of energy Chronically poor appetite Shallow breathing Difficulty digesting proteins • Indigestion, acid indigestion, belching after meals • Bad breath or foul taste in mouth, “rotten egg” taste • Gas, bloating, belching after meals • Cravings for sugar • Temporary loss of appetite • Heavy feelings in the stomach • Heavily coated tongue

17. Balancing Earth Energy

18. Metal Element • Associated with our ability to defend and protect ourselves, also with being structured (orderly and organized) • Positive manifestation, being able to breathe freely and feel calm and stable, also the ability to “let go” of the past and move on • When thwarted it leads to grief, sadness, aloofness, coldness, anxiety and feel stifled

19. Emotions Associated with Metal Excess Deficient Grief and sadness that are internalized, or excessive grief and sadness over the course of one’s life leads to being withdrawn Person can become cold, aloof, difficult to get close to and self-righteous and stuffy in their personality • Acute anxiety and stress due to shock and loss (death, loss, trauma, etc.) • Feeling stifled and stagnant, unable to move, unable to breathe freely • Shock and anxiety cause vasoconstriction, limiting airflow to the lungs

20. Symptoms Associated with Metal Excess Deficient Immune weakness, chronic infection in lungs Tightness in the chest, difficulty breathing, wheezing Dry, unproductive cough Feeble speaking Tuberculosis, emphysema History of smoking • Acute respiratory congestion, sinus congestion, coughing, sneezing • Difficulty breathing, acute shortness of breath • Allergic reactions (hayfever) • Swollen lymph glands • Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath

21. Balancing Metal Energy

22. Water Element • Associated with the ability to be fluid, to flow with life and be flexible and yielding • Healthy manifestations include being patient, tolerant, kind, flexible, open and spontaneous • Thwarted energy results in fear, anxiety, stress, premature aging

23. Emotions Associated with Water Excess Deficient Becoming emotionally rigid, inflexible, afraid to try new things, unable to adapt to or cope with new situations Chronic stress, difficult remembering things, premature aging • Acute fear, the body contracts away from life towards the center • Being timid, wishy-washy and excessively yielding to others • Overly agreeable, not wanting to “rock the boat,” trying to hard to keep the peace

24. Symptoms Associated with Water Excess Deficient Dark circles under eyes Neck pain, stiff neck – due to exercise or overuse Leg cramps or pains – due to exercise or overuse Weak knees, ankles, legs • Water retention, edema • Feeling sluggish, tired • Wake up at night to urinate • Scanty or pale urine

25. Balancing Water Energy

26. Summary: NSP’s Chinese Products

27. Summary: Flower Essences

28. Thank You