If you answered “yes” to any or all of these, then you know there is much that can affect your immune system including breathing recirculated air in airplanes or when in the house in the winter months.  Good news: Even with all this working against you, there are many ways to boost your immune system naturally.   

1. Essential Oils  – There are many oils with antibacterial and antiviral properties that can enhance your immune system and assist your body in staying healthy.   Young children, as well as adults, can benefit as long as you properly dilute them and adhere to any precautions.   

A few oils that are good for adults are:

•  Niaouli (Melaleuca viridiflora)
• Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)
• Eucalyptus radiata 
• All citrus oils
• Palmarosa (Cymbopogon martini)

You can inhale any of them 2-4 times a day directly from the bottle, place 5 – 6 drops on a tissue and take with you or diffuse for at least 15 minutes twice a day.   Apply 3% dilution ( 13 drops of essential oil in 15 ml of carrier oil) topically to neck and wrists 1-2 times a day.

It is better to alternate oils after 3-4 weeks to prevent sensitization and cover a variety of bacteria and viruses. 

My children’s immune blend for ages 2-12 years:  2 drops Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) + 2 drops Lemon (Citrus limon) + 2 drops Eucalyptus radiata  + 15 milliliters of carrier oil.  This is a little less than a 1.5% dilution. Apply to the back or abdomen of the child once or twice a day. If used daily take a break after 3 weeks or skip the weekends and use it for 6 weeks. 

 2. Adequate Sleep – This is when your body repairs and rejuvenates itself.  Research tells us 7-8 hours is optimal for most people.  If you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep it could be affecting your immune system.  If you are experiencing sleeping issues I have many options for assisting you in getting a good night’s sleep. 

3. Keep your energy system open and flowing.  Research supports the hypothesis that disturbances in the human energy field occur before the actual onset of symptoms or dis-ease.  Performing the self-chakra connection one or more times a week can assist in keeping your energy field opened and balanced by decreasing stress, anxiety and promoting relaxation.  It can even help you sleep better at night!

4. Keep hands away from the face, wash hands frequently especially after being out in public areas like the grocery store. 

5. Listen to your body and think about what it is relaying to you.  If you are feeling fatigued, why?  Too little sleep, poor diet, or something else? 

If you wake up with an ache or pain or it comes on without physical exertion it may be more emotional then physical.  Think about what is going on in your life that could be contributing to your dis-ease. Are you feeling stressed at work? Perhaps you don’t feel heard or valued by your boss, spouse, family member or friend. 

Humans are very complicated beings and we must address our body, mind, and spirit in order to live vibrant, happy, healthy lives. 

If you need assistance staying healthy physically or emotionally contact me for a free consultation 510 381-3191, la****@***************od.com

Our modern world bombards you with multiple stressors on a daily basis which keeps you in the stress response (aka “survival mode”).  It adversely affects your ability to reason, your digestive and immune systems, quality of sleep and ability to have compassion for yourself and others.

Benefits of being in the relaxation mode:

• think clearly and improved focused
• digestive system works better
• stronger immune system
• improved sleep
• calmer mind
• easily access emotions of empathy and compassion

By inhaling relaxing essential oils such as ylang-ylang, orange, roman chamomile, or lavender to name a few you will enhance the relaxation effect.

You don’t even have to sit still in order to meditate.  You just need to be in the present moment and not thinking about the past or the future.  You can do a walking meditation.  Whether your outside, inside a building or out in nature enjoy and observe what is happening in the moment.  Don’t think about your to-do list, what happened last night with a family member or what you should wear to that presentation. We can all learn a lesson from our pets, they live in the present (see photo).  Here is a healing touch technique called mind-clearing that can be an active meditation – my gift to you!

Now the mind is tricky and thoughts will come in while you are meditating but just gently release them and come back to the moment.  You see you don’t have to be perfect when you meditate!  Just not dwelling on those thoughts and coming back to the present still elicits the relaxation response.  So don’t give up just because you can’t keep a clear head. 

My second gift to you is a 5-minute breath meditation download that you can do anywhere.  I love doing this when I am out in nature to really feel the energy of the environment.  It is super calming for me.

Some great times to meditate are:

• When you first wake up in the morning
• on your way to or from work (if you take public transit or carpool)
• break or lunchtime
• after arriving home
• just before bed to relax and clear your mind.
• whenever you choose to take time for yourself it is a good time.

With repetition, your body recognizes the 3 signal breaths and that alone can start to put you into a state of relaxation.

You can’t go wrong trying this!  I would love to hear how you feel after completing this meditation.

One exemplary hospital is Abbott Northwestern in Minn. They have an integrative medicine team and offer patients several different therapies. These therapies include healing touch, aromatherapy, guided imagery, massage, music, acupuncture, and reflexology. Here is an excerpt from an article published in Managed Care 2012 regarding cost and outcomes of a study completed at that facility. Regression analyses covered the first half of 2009, when 1,000 patients who received integrative services provided pre- and post-intervention pain scores. “We analyzed whether pain management affected the costs of the hospital stay,” says principal investigator Jeffrey Dusek, PhD, director of research for the hospital’s integrative medicine division. “When pain was reduced, total charges averaged $2,000 less per stay for those 1,000 patients, a total of about $2 million. We suspect that one cost-reduction factor is that patients receiving integrative medicine had pain managed without medications, thus requiring fewer medications.” The immediate effect on self-reported pain scores was an average reduction of approximately 55 percent, without increased risk of adverse effects. Results were published in the March 2010 Journal of Patient Safety.

A pilot project to look at patient experience and costs of integrative therapies was done by Kligler in 2010. He compared 89 head and neck cancer in-patients to 74 patients who were hospitalized and released before the project began. “Patients in the study healed faster, and reported less pain and more energy overall, than the previous patients,” says Kligler. “They needed less medication for nausea, sleep, or anxiety. We found a savings of $150 per day per patient for overall meds.”

Providing healing touch or guided imagery to patients when I worked in the ER helped them to decrease pain and anxiety as they waited for the MD or when they were reluctant to take medication. I worked on hospitalized friends and family to help lower blood pressure, heart rate and improve breathing while in critical care or in a telemetry unit. Healing touch provided them with a sense of calm and relaxation. They were able to sleep better and required less pain medication.

If you work in a facility I would love to hear how you feel about integrative medicine and if any holistic therapies are offered. If you or a loved one were hospitalized or in a skilled nursing facility would you be interested in receiving holistic therapies such as healing touch (a form of energy medicine), guided imagery, aromatherapy, acupressure?

If you would like to talk more about bringing integrative care into your place of work or learning holistic therapies please email me, la****@***************od.com. I would love to schedule a time to talk.

bare tree

Nature has a natural rhythm of growth and conservation, do you? Winter is a time when most plants go dormant; it is a rest period that is crucial to their survival in order to regrow each year. Longer nights, cooler temperatures tell plants and animals to shelter inside and conserve energy for the growth that will occur in the spring.

Humans need to remember and follow nature’s rhythm too. Unfortunately with all our modern conveniences we just continue full-steam ahead with our fast-paced lives. Staying up at night, being outside for long periods and pushing ourselves physically and mentally continues throughout winter. Do you slow down, rest, reflect and conserve? Does your energy get depleted especially around the holidays with all the extra activities? No wonder so many people become ill in the winter months! We often ignore warning signs from our body to conserve our energy and slow down until we end up physically sick or mentally exhausted.

Imagine if you took the time to get more sleep (7-8 hours/night), ate nutritious food, stayed home more, did some reflection and your energy flow was opened and balanced. You would decrease stress, physical and emotional pain, promote well-being and joy in yourself! This would induce healing on all levels for you. Like nature, you would be ready to “blossom” in the spring!

Why did I mention doing some reflecting? Reflection can give you new insights or confirm that you are on your right path. Are you aligned with your true desires and passions? If your job or relationships are out of alignment with your true self then your mind, body, spirit are out of balance. This will cause dis-ease. Stillness can help you discover what changes you desire and start you on a path to achieving your goals. If you need assistance in shutting off the mind-chatter, slowing down or helping your energy come into balance and flow freely let’s talk 510 381-3191. All of this prepares you for future growth.

So remember the trees that stand bare and the bulbs underneath the ground are actually experiencing a wonderful transformation that cannot be seen on the outside. All of the stored energy explodes in Spring with miraculous results. The trees burst forth with beautiful blossoms, flowers emerge from the ground and beauty surrounds us. Give yourself the gift of slowing down this winter to see what transforms in you and emerges this spring! I would love to hear what happens for you.

If I can be of any assistance please contact me via phone or la****@***************od.com.

When this chakra is in balance you are in touch with your emotions, relationships that you chose to be in are positive and supportive. Relationships that you would not voluntarily choose but are required, such as at work, you can express your feelings respectfully and remain neutral rather than getting upset and angry. Your creative juices flow and you embrace pleasure in all forms. You feel good about yourself.

When the sacral chakra is out of balance you may experience feelings of resentment, aggression, shyness, guilt. You may find it difficult to trust others. You may feel stuck in a situation or your life in general.

From the physical viewpoint this chakra governs the reproductive organs, kidneys, colon, immune system, bladder, hips and low back. When out of balance physical symptoms may present as pain in the hips, kidney problems, bladder infection or illness with reproductive organs such as terrible cramps, excessive bleeding, infertility, etc.

A client that came to me because stress at work was causing her physical symptoms of sleep problems, digestive issues and chronic fatigue. As we worked together I saw a pattern that her sacral chakra would be the last to flow and always congested by the next visit.  Talking with her l realized her primary cause of stress was conflict within herself about her career and job. We started focusing on this aspect with aromatherapy and guided imagery and finally she started to resolve this issue.

When I checked in with her a month later she had gained clarity on what direction to take in her career and had taken actions toward her goal. Her symptoms had resolved and she felt confident and happy.

This is just one example of how I can get to the root cause of issues with you when you may not be consciously aware of what is going on. If you’re experiencing issues in your relationships or have physical challenges related to the sacral chakra I invite you to work with me one-on-one to help you resolve it and reclaim your life full of joy and good health.

As an energy worker, I believe there should be some sort of exchange between people so this content is not for free. If you found it valuable, in exchange for payment, I ask that you do one or all of the following: 1) Share it with at least 2 people on Facebook, via email or any social media of your choice.   2) Answer the question or leave a comment.

Laurie Ratto, RN, Speaker, HTCP, CCA has 30+ years’ experience helping people to heal from physical, mental , and emotional pain. She provides a safe, nurturing space for women to release fears and self-doubt, what spiritually ties us to pain. Laurie Ratto specializes in complementary medicine, as a holistic healer, she keeps her RN certification current because she understands the power of balance as we heal.

An essential oil is composed of hundreds of different chemicals so it can have many different effects on the body. For example peppermint oil has a significant amount of menthol in it so it is good for alleviating muscle pain. Due to its other components it can also curb appetite, alleviate nausea and has antibacterial and antiviral properties! The oils work with the body to maintain balance and homeostasis. Pharmaceutical drugs however are designed to have only one or two actions and often pull the body out of balance. For example if someone is taking Lasix the medication pulls fluid from the body. It also pulls potassium so then many patients must take a potassium supplement to keep the body in homeostasis.

Aromas have a powerful influence on the mind and emotions. When you inhale an oil the scent bypasses your thinking brain and goes straight to the amygdala located about center of your brain. This area stores past experiences and emotions and reacts quickly before your logical brain has time to think. For example have you ever smelled something and instantly a memory pops into your head? If the memory is a pleasant one you feel calm or uplifted, if the memory is something unpleasant you may feel fear or anger. For example whenever I smell cookies I immediately feel good inside because I am flooded with fond memories of my Mom and Grandma baking and eating cookies together. Oils also help release emotional trauma, relax and clear the mind.

I use essential oils every day. They are very complex and do not have any major side effects like medications do. Have you had an experience with essential oils? If so I would love to hear about it, leave a comment below or contact me at 510 381-3191.

As an energy worker, I believe there should be some sort of exchange between people so this content is not for free. If you found it valuable, in exchange for payment, I ask that you do one or all of the following: 1) Share it with at least 2 people on Facebook, via email or any social media of your choice.   2) Answer the question or leave a comment.

Laurie Ratto, RN, Speaker, HTCP, CCA has 30+ years’ experience helping people to heal from physical, mental , and emotional pain. She provides a safe, nurturing space for women to release fears and self-doubt, what spiritually ties us to pain. Laurie Ratto specializes in complementary medicine, as a holistic healer, she keeps her RN certification current because she understands the power of balance as we heal.

A study at the University of Cincinnati by Dr. William Dember found that inhaling peppermint oil increased mental accuracy by 28%. My daughter also used this oil while studying for exams when she was in college. I prefer to place 1 drop on my tongue then push my tongue against the roof of my mouth. This really wakes me up, clears my sinuses and helps me to focus. My daughter inhaled it from the bottle and placed a drop or two on her wrists or neck. She did not need to use those energy drinks that are so bad for you.

Clarity is a blend of 12 different oils that are stimulating and uplifting to the mind and body. I use this when I want something a little more subtle then the strong menthol effect. It helps me to stay on task and focus. I have even come up with new insights after applying the oil!

There are many other potential oils that can also help. When I work with clients I determine the best oil(s) for their body and give them detailed instructions on ways to use, methods of application and any precautions. If you are interested I would love to talk with you.

Several small studies have found rosemary to enhance cognition and uplift your mood. I recommend trying it! Other oils that are helpful are:

• Cardamom
• Basil
• Peppermint
• Black pepper
• Lemon

All of these oils can be diluted 1 part carrier oil to one part essential oil and apply 2-3 drops to the back of the neck, temples, or mastoid bones (behind the ear) several times a day. They can be directly inhaled from the bottle 2 – 6 times a day or place a few drops on a cotton ball and pin to the person’s clothing around the collar area. Questions? Contact me for more information.

As an energy worker, I believe there should be some sort of exchange between people so this content is not for free. If you found it valuable, in exchange for payment, I ask that you do one or all of the following: 1) Share it with at least 2 people on Facebook, via email or any social media of your choice.   2) Answer the question or leave a comment.

Laurie Ratto, RN, Speaker, HTCP, CCA has 30+ years’ experience helping people to heal from physical, mental , and emotional pain. She provides a safe, nurturing space for women to release fears and self-doubt, what spiritually ties us to pain. Laurie Ratto specializes in complementary medicine, as a holistic healer, she keeps her RN certification current because she understands the power of balance as we heal.

I was so depressed about it but couldn’t tell anyone because I felt ashamed. Now some of that was probably hormonal but I definitely was questioning my ability to be a good Mom. I asked myself why couldn’t my body provide for her, what was wrong with me? She did nurse some but not long enough to get the amount needed to nourish her. I felt like I had failed my daughter because formula was not as good as breast milk in regards to making antibodies and boosting her immune system.

Once she started gaining weight and smiling the thoughts of failure started to fade away. She was a healthy, growing, beautiful baby. That is what mattered, not whether she got that way by nursing or taking formula.

Many times we are our own worst critic. No one else thought I was a bad Mom, inadequate or a failure, it all came from within me. This is a common theme with many clients. The woman that comes to me stressed out and feels like a failure because she can’t juggle everything she thinks she should be able to. The woman that is stuck in grief from yet another failed relationship. Another example is a woman with chronic pain that can no longer work and feels like she failed herself and her family.

My 5 step system helps you to clear out the old trauma and negative story. I guide you in discovering new insights, finding peace and improved confidence. Yes sometimes we do actually fail but finding the lesson in it makes it positive and of value. If you are suffering with pain from a failure story I can help.   I work with your body, mind and spirit to heal physical and emotional pain. Contact me for a free 30 minute consultation.

As an energy worker, I believe there should be some sort of exchange between people so this content is not for free. If you found it valuable, in exchange for payment, I ask that you do one or all of the following: 1) Share it with at least 2 people on Facebook, via email or any social media of your choice.   2) Answer the question or leave a comment.

Laurie Ratto, RN, Speaker, HTCP, CCA has 30+ years’ experience helping people to heal from physical, mental , and emotional pain. She provides a safe, nurturing space for women to release fears and self-doubt, what spiritually ties us to pain. Laurie Ratto specializes in complementary medicine, as a holistic healer, she keeps her RN certification current because she understands the power of balance as we heal.

The first or root chakra relates to vitality, the life force, being grounded, forward movement and stability. It also relates to the hips, legs and feet of the physical body. The clients that come to me for guidance with emotional issues include stress, depression, lack of motivation, “feeling stuck” or fear of making a desired change. The vast majority of these clients experience physical fatigue and sleep issues. Many of them tell me they feel scattered or disconnected from their body in some way. All of these are symptoms of a congested root chakra!

When I was experiencing chronic pain and started taking healing touch classes my root chakra, along with several others, were congested. I experienced fatigue and had to take a nap after work in order to function the rest of the evening. I sometimes said no to going out with friends because I was too tired. My chi or life force was not flowing well and this affected by energy level.

I was becoming increasingly frustrated at work and did not feel grounded. What do I mean by grounded? When you are grounded you feel connected to the earth, your own physical body and can focus on the present moment. I felt disconnected from Mother Earth because I was not getting outside regularly for a hike in the woods or a walk on the beach. I was having difficulty focusing at work. For example I would leave a patient’s room to get a needed supply and when I got to the supply cart forgot what I needed! My mind was wandering and thinking about what I should do next instead of what I needed now. This caused me to be less efficient and was just plain annoying.

The healing touch program taught me grounding techniques which I use on a daily basis to help keep me grounded and my energy high. In step 3 of my 5 step system I teach my clients grounding techniques and other techniques to keep the energy center open. This allows you to tap into your life force and receive vitality and healing from Mother Earth.   Opening this chakra will help you feel energized, connected and focused. Contact me to learn more!

As an energy worker, I believe there should be some sort of exchange between people so this content is not for free. If you found it valuable, in exchange for payment, I ask that you do one or all of the following: 1) Share it with at least 2 people on Facebook, via email or any social media of your choice.   2) Answer the question or leave a comment.

Laurie Ratto, RN, Speaker, HTCP, CCA has 30+ years’ experience helping people to heal from physical, mental , and emotional pain. She provides a safe, nurturing space for women to release fears and self-doubt, what spiritually ties us to pain. Laurie Ratto specializes in complementary medicine, as a holistic healer, she keeps her RN certification current because she understands the power of balance as we heal.