True Health:

Merging The Rhythms of The Natural And Spiritual Worlds

Bruce Berkowsky, N.M.D., M.H., H.M.C.

In the first article of this three-article series, Traditional Naturopathy: Living In Harmony With The Rhythms Of The Natural Universe, health was discussed in terms of harmonization with the rhythms of the natural universe. In the second article: The Inner-Nature of Essential Oils: A Pathway To The Higher Soul, the focus was on harmonization with the spiritual world. This article describes how harmonization with the interrelated natural and spiritual worlds is imperative to complete the circle of true health.

The Road To True Health

Health can only be produced, and disease eliminated, by restoring the original life-rhythm which depends upon an unhindered relationship between the human body and the external factors of Nature. The human organism is designed to strive toward health, not disease. Disease is often a defensive reaction to poor lifestyle habits. Therefore, the power to cure disease resides only within ones body, and that innate power cannot fully prevail until wrong living habits stop and the fundamental elements of life and health have been set in place. These fundamental elements are: proper diet; pure water; fresh air; sunlight; adequate exercise, warmth, rest and sleep; proper posture; emotional harmony. One of the most important therapeutic principles of traditional naturopathic medicine is: Disease treatment must be based upon the use of the fundamental elements of life in accordance with the needs and abilities of the patient. We must bear in mind that the soul and body are unified and their vitality is interdependent. In fact, every cell is ensouled. The Kabbalah teaches that the body is to the soul as the candle-wick is to a flame. In other words, the soul must be attached to a physical organism, plant or animal, in order to actualize in the material world. Being both a traditional naturopath and founder of Spiritual PhytoEssencing (a system designed to encourage psycho-spiritual development using essential oils), Ive found that keeping the organism attuned to the rhythms of both the natural universe and the spiritual world are inherently parallel and complementary endeavors.

Practical Applications of The Body/Soul Paradigm

Interfacing Essential Oils With Vital Chi Skin-Brushing And Hydrotherapy
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The integration of my Vital Chi Skin-Brushing System with strategic hydrotherapies (specific bath/shower therapies) and essential oil selections creates a powerful healing synergy for both body and soul. The skin is as major an organ as the heart, lungs and kidneys. Its primary functions include respiration, excretion, blood and lymph circulation, immunity and the conduction of vital chi. However, unlike other vital organs, the skin can be non-invasively accessed and mediate systemic rejuvenation by a variety of therapeutic techniques, including proper skin-brushing. I designed the Vital Chi Skin-Brushing System to support blood- and lymph circulation, the immune system, movement of vital chi along acupuncture channels, all major physiological functions of the skin, and to enhance skin beauty and encourage the breakdown of cellulite. Notably, the skin is intricately woven

into the mechanism of emotional armoring; thus skin-brushing, by reducing psychical tension, can enhance the psycho-spiritual actions of essential oils. Of the various hydrotherapies I employ, the Alternate Hot/Cold Shower is one I commonly recommend as an overall tonic treatment. Its an invigorating procedure (well-suited for tightly scheduled workdays) which vitalizes circulatory, endocrine, immune, lymphatic, nerve and skin functions. The Alternate Hot/Cold Shower, preceded by Vital Chi Skin-Brushing, employed three to four times weekly, has proven to be wonderfully restorative. Two to three alternations (no more) between hot and cold water are used: 2 minutes comfortably hot; 5 to 20 seconds comfortably cold or cool (never more, even if one is robust). The first contrast cycle is always the most intense; following ones are less so since the bodys ability to react progressively declines. Thus, excess (more than three) hot and cold alternations are depleting, defeating the treatments purpose. One should not overtax the system. Be conscious of your relative state of vitality on a given day and adjust the temperature of the water and duration of each shower phase accordingly. Use only well-tolerated temperatures. To enhance therapeutic effects of this regimen, I usually suggest following it with a lemon juice/essential oils body-rub. Dr. John T. Richter, a popular naturopath of the 20th century, writes in Nature: The Healer: After the shower or bath, rub your body down with the juice of half a lemon while the skin is still moist. Massage until perfectly dryotherwise the skin will have a tendency to be somewhat sticky. This massage will dislodge outworn skin. With the slightly astringent effect, you will feel clean and be clean. My clients and students enjoy this excellent, highly synergistic lemon juice/essential oil rub. To prepare: Mix juice of 1/2 lemon with 4- to 5-drops of one essential oil, or a combination of two or three relevant essential oils. Note: To avoid possible skin-irritation, do not exceed a total of 5-drops of essential oils. The Aromatherapy/Spiritual PhytoEssencing Interface
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Phytoessences (plant essential oils) exert emotional and physical effects via the perception of their respective scents. The olfactory nerves: nerves related to sense of smell are directly connected to cerebral centers, including the hypothalamus: a crucial portion of the brain stem. Phytoessences contain very active biochemical components including hormone precursors which can be utilized by the organisms physical plane. The hypothalamus plays a pivotal role both in maintaining physiological homeostasis and by serving as the link between the autonomic nervous and endocrine (hormonal) systems. Phytoessences also directly interact on the non-material energy planevia the sense of smellwith human bioenergy, or vital chi. The energy fields of these oils vibrate at a frequency high enough to achieve resonance with the dynamic, or energy, body of the organism. In Spiritual PhytoEssencingan art I designed to help an individual overcome the separation from ones higher self which lies at the core of emotional and physical disharmonygreater emphasis is given to the bioenergetic, or dynamic, aspect of an essential oil. This dynamic aspect is not accessible to our ordinary intellectual consciousness; nevertheless, its the key determinant of the nature of the oil. Every living cell must be animated by a vital force, or ensouled, and its this incarnation of higher forces into living tissue that lends each organism its tangible expression. Plants are alive, and everything that lives has a soul. The essential oil is the carrier of the soul of the plant. The Kabbalah teaches that the scent of a plant is the super-consciousness of its soul. According to the Kabbalah, the human soul contains plant, animal and human soul components. Thus, each of us has the ability to relate to plant souls on a soul-to-soul level. In the following description of peppermint oil, I have combined the indications for both physical and emotional uses of the oil as described in aromatherapy with a brief description of its psycho-spiritual themes as elaborated in Spiritual PhytoEssencing. The psycho-spiritual perspective provides crucial

information which allows for precise individualization of the therapeutic use of the oil. Ideally, one should select essential oils that fit the case on both physical and psycho-spiritual levels. When this is done, the impression that an oil makes upon the organism is far deeper and longer-lasting. Note: Essential oils can be irritating to the skin if misused or used without a carrier oil. For proper use of essential oils, consult with a certified aromatherapist. Peppermint Oil Profiles: Physical/Emotional/Psycho-Spiritual Physical actions: Reduces muscular soreness, neuralgia, sciatica and arthritis; detoxifies connective tissue and skin; activates lymphatic drainage; supports kidney and cardiovascular functions; warming; soothes aching feet; increases white blood cells; useful in treating itching, dermatitis, fungal infections, blackheads, colds, fevers, upper respiratory disorders, numbness of limbs. Emotional indications: anger; depression; hysteria; egotism; low self-esteem; intolerance; mental fatigue; poor concentration; enervation; racing thoughts; nervous trembling; insomnia; shock; paralysis. Psycho-Spiritual profile: The peppermint oil type individual has a burning desire to both give and receive love. She is very emotional, reactive and animated, and tends to attract attention toward herself either because of her sympathetic, lively personality or her good looks. Yet the liveliness and gracious friendliness often veil an underlying feeling of deprivation regarding the receipt of love and affection. In turn, this feeling can give rise to chronic irascibility, easy vexation, melancholy and feelings of insecurity, restlessness, anger, anxiety, fearfulness and hypersensitivity. Though gifted with quick perception and clairvoyance, shes prone to mistaking wishful thinking for true intuition and thus led astray. Her intuition is likely to be distorted by a swirling palette of emotions and imaginings. The innocent and trusting nature of the peppermint oil type can get her into all manner of uncomfortable situations. Shes quick to jump to conclusions based upon scanty or circumstantial evidence and to interpret facts of a situation through the prism of her own subjective experiences, fears and fervent desires. The peppermint oil individual needs ongoing communication established through intimacy and continual contact. Lacking this, she feels as if she cannot breathe deeply and looks outward, like a cornered animal, for an avenue of escape to a realm of open air and light. If she cannot establish, within the home, communication through language and touch which she constitutionally craves, then she may concoct elaborate fantasies regarding the discovery of these through travel. She is sexually charged and may long for adulterous affairs. Yet in the long term, she can only be truly sexually fulfilled if her sexual relations are established within the context of honest communication and meaningful contact. Disclaimer: This Body/Mind Rejuvenation material is for informational purposes only. Each person is unique and advised to seek the advice of a qualified health-care practitioner to determine relevance in a given case.

Dr. Bruce Berkowsky, President of Joseph Ben Hil-Meyer Research, Inc., Fellow and member of the faculty and Research Council of The British Institute of Homeopathy (1994 recipient of the Hahnemann Award), is the founder/teacher of both Natural Health Science System (a powerful integration of traditional naturopathy and a diverse array of natural healing techniques) and Spiritual PhytoEssencing (constitutional psycho-spiritual work using custom essential oil blends and derived homeopathic potencies). For more information about his work, books, seminars/workshops/teleseminars/Dipoma and Masters Courses, or to sign up for his free monthly e-mail newsletter, Natures Therapies On-Line Journal, visit www.NaturalHealthScience.com. To contact Dr. Berkowskys e-mail: drbruceb@cnw.com.
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