The Au-Natural Health SIG

Ear Candling

2010-03-25T16:33:00.002-04:00

While wandering around a metaphysical bookstore, one weekend day during my massage therapy training lunch break, I happened to see a woman sitting on a stool with a cape draped around her torso, her head tilted to the side, a small towel type covering over the side of her head, and a burning candle sticking out of her ear. The candle was being held in place by a store employee. The two were chatting away. The woman looked totally ridiculous, by the way. I would have been embarrassed to be sitting there, behind the front counter, on display like that. Amid my puzzled looks and investigative glancing, I saw on a table close by, a package labeled something like ear candles. Aaaaah, I realized, that is what ear candling looks like.

I had seen ear candles before, but had no idea what people did with them. I never felt the compulsion to find out, either. But, now that I saw it being done, I wanted to know what it was about. So, I read about it from a proponents' point of view. Hmmm, the candle creates suction in the ear and draws out the ear wax? At the end of the session, they cut open the candle and show you the black junk inside and declare - see, that's the yucky ear wax and junk from your ear. My first thought was that it was the burned leftovers from the candle itself. You know, fire creates a chemical reaction, it transforms, and then there is leftover by products.

By the way, did you happen to see the episode of MythBusters when they took wax from people's ears so they could make a candle from it, to see if it would burn? Watch the YouTube video on it. They had a doctor come in to extract ear wax from people. Not everyone had ear wax to contribute. Some had a tiny bit, and 1 or 2 had a bunch. The doctor used a special tool to remove it. It was totally disgusting seeing a bowl of human ear wax. I had to look away. If I was there in person, I probably would have vomited.

Anyway, back to ear candling. Well, it makes no sense to me how a candle, wedged in your ear, could create any suction at all. And, what, it has to be hot enough to melt the wax in your ear so it drips out? I mean so it drips up? Is that how the wax supposedly comes out? Or does it turn to vapor? Or stay solid, but because of sheer force of that suction, it uproots itself from your ear canal, and flies into the candle? And, about that candle, if it's burning, won't it melt and potentially drip its own wax into your ear? Well take a look at an excerpt from the FDA website about reports they've received about ear candling ...

"FDA has received reports of burns, perforated eardrums and blockage of the ear canal which required outpatient surgery from the use of ear candles. And a survey of ear, nose and throat physicians published in 1996 in the medical journal Laryngoscope reported 13 cases of burns of the ear, seven cases of wax occlusion of the ear canal, and one case of a perforated eardrum. The authors of this study also reported that the burning ear candles dripped candle wax on the eardrum of the test subjects and in a model of the ear."

You can read the FDA page on ear candling here.

You can read a report on the Health Canada website about the dangers of ear candling.

Apparently, there are claims that ear candling not only removes junkies from your ear, but it can help with ear and sinus infections, headaches, ear aches, and improved hearing. I won't even mention the blood purification and curing cancer claims. Oops, too late. And, once again from the FDA website ...

"In the Laryngoscope study noted above, it was found that burning ear candles produced no measurable vacuum pressure, or suction on a model of the ear. Ear candles were also found to be ineffective in removing ear wax in 4 test subjects. In fact, using ear candle on these subjects appeared to have pushed ear wax further into the ear canal.

In addition, Health Canada, the Canadian health regulatory agency, performed their own tests and found that ear candles produce no measurable effect in the ear and have no therapeutic value."

And, so there goes another one of those alternative, get well quick, holistic health type remedies. If you have a problem with your ears or sinuses, please make sure you see a physician about it. Yes, a doctor. Someone with a medical degree who gave years of their life to study and practice medicine. Do not put your health in the hands of ear candles and unqualified ear candle people doers. Not sure what to call the person who does the ear candling, except maybe quack? Be smart. Investigate. Your health is up to you.

Did you notice how I didn't bother referencing any sites which claim successes in treating people with ear candles? That is because I have already made up my mind that I don't believe it to work. Therefore, I'm trying to convince you of this, too. And, I'm doing it by bringing up evidence that supports my case. I am biased on the matter.

Stay tuned for other things I've seen or overheard in that metaphysical bookshop :)

The Best Foods You Aren't Eating

2008-07-01T14:05:00.001-04:00

The Lifehacker blog points us to a NYT story about 11 foods you probably are not eating, but are really good for you. We've seen some of the suggestions before - mainly because when we became vegetarians we became much more aware of what we were eating, and thus tried a variety of other things. I personally felt healthier as a result. Now, some of the suggestions are things I typically avoid (beets and plums for example), while Sardines are right out. But others can be quite good - Allison makes some great Turmeric potatoes.

Find Local Foods in Season

2008-06-02T10:24:00.001-04:00

It's said that the healthiest things to eat are locally grown fruits and vegetables. The thing is, how do you know what is in season in your area. Well, Epicuriouis.com now has an interactive map that shows exactly what is in season in your area. For example, in New Jersey (where we live) Broccoli and Spinach are in season, which for us is great as we both tend to be a frequent visitor to our dinner table.

Vitamin D and Sunlight

2007-07-20T16:11:00.000-04:00

Here's a short article from the UK talking about a rising incidence of Vitamin D deficiency due to people avoiding the sun because of fear of skin cancer. When exposed to sunlight, the body will make its own Vitamin D. It's possible to avoid the sun during peak hours, and still get enough sunlight for a healthy amount of Vitamin D.

EDP24 - Warning over vitamins and sunlight

Global Dimming

2007-07-20T15:12:00.000-04:00

We've all heard of Global Warming, but what about Global Dimming? The idea is that the Earth is getting darker .. it is receiving less sunlight than it had been getting 40 years ago. It was estimated in the mid 1990's that the US was receiving 10 percent less sunlight than in 1960. Why? The article suggests atmospheric pollution and talks about other impacts the pollution is having in the world.

Icarus Flying II – wot no sun?

New-Age Lunar Therapy

2007-07-20T14:37:00.000-04:00

Hmmm ... lunar therapy? Someone built a 25 ton moon reflector in southern Arizona where you can experience the reflected light of the moon while you are 20 feet in the air. They are saying that the moon light has healing qualities and can help treat certain maladies. Unfortunately, they mention in the article that sun light does not having healing qualities - and to that I disagree. I have no opinion yet about the lunar ray theory. What do you think?

New-Age Lunar Therapy

Globalization comes full circle

2007-07-08T12:24:00.000-04:00

I thought that this would be an interesting article to include in the Natural Health SIG. Why - you ask? Well, it does mention the word naturist. But, I think that it's important because it tries to explain about our ancestors, and how they pretty much all started off in the same place on the Earth. They then started exploring and moving outward until we eventually have what we have today. People all over the world, different cultures, languages, appearances, customs. Yet, we all started out from the same place. I say "we" because I'm assuming that you can make the leap that our ancestors are part of who we are today. To me the article speaks of our similarities of being inhabitants of the Earth - and hopefully it makes people think about being more accepting of others even though they may look different. When you meet someone new, don't you feel better when you discover you have something in common? So, take a long read about something we all have in common here on our Earth.

Globalization Comes Full Circle

Domesticated Nature

2007-07-03T20:16:00.000-04:00

Here is an article about a study published in Science Magazine having to do with the effects of humankind's alterations to the environment. These are not theoretical effects, but actual occurrences. While the intention was to improve human welfare, many of the secondary effects have played out to be quite negative. It sounds like the entire study would be interesting to read.

Study Examines Exploitation of Natural Resources

Petition to Stop 'Drive Through' Mastectomies

2007-07-03T16:25:00.000-04:00

This petition is not brand new. However, they're still accepting signatures. It seems that in some states, the Health Insurance Companies prefer NOT to pay for coverage for hospital stays after the very emotionally and physically traumatic surgical procedure of a mastectomy. You can read the details at Lifetime's website - including personal stories and a link to the actual Bill in the Senate. Definitely worth researching and signing. Thanks to Jen for sending me this link.

Lifetimetv.com: Breast Cancer Awareness - Petition

Scott Meyers Launches New Natural Health Website

2007-07-03T16:06:00.000-04:00

Here's a press release about a new natural health website that may be worth checking out. The new site has articles on different natural health topics. It will probably grow over time and may become an interesting resource.

Scott Meyers Launches New Natural Health Website

A Brief History of Massage Article

2007-07-01T10:17:00.000-04:00

Here's a short article about massage through the ages. It's interesting to see how physicians once were trained to use massage for their patient's benefit - and how and why this practice changed. There definitely seems to be greater interest in massage during our current times. Hopefully the practice will help people become more accepting of and connected to their own bodies - as they experience the wonderful benefits of massage therapy.

(Camden) A Brief History of MASSAGE - Health & Wellness - WaldoSoup

Recyling things you wouldn't expect

2007-06-28T07:19:00.000-04:00

I have recently found myself strangely attracted to a show called Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe. Much like some people just have to slow down to see an accident on the side of the road, I have to watch this show. Recently Mike has featured jobs that demonstrate how the scraps/extras of a process still get used. Spent hops from beer gets turned to feed for cattle. Parts of the fish that don't go to the fish market are used to create fish food. And food scraps from restaurants in Las Vegas are used to create a kind of stew that's fed to pigs.

So when I saw this story in the New Scientist about a way to turn plastic back into the oils it was made from I thought that too was a neat idea worth sharing. The process that Global Resource Corporation (GRC) has cooked up is to used a finely tuned microwave to melt the plastic. The resulting oil can be used as alternative fuel for cars. One of the things they say they can recycle are used car tires.

Seen any other interesting recycling process out there than can help the environment? Let us know in the forums.

Story Link:

Giant microwave turns plastic back to oil - New Scientist Environment

Yoga - Beyond the Postures: The Yamas

2007-06-17T07:37:00.000-04:00

Yoga teacher Tracey Trambauer writes in the Orlando Sentinal about truth telling, which is one of the Yamas. The Yamas are five moral ideas grouped as one of the Eight limbs of yoga.

"

People are quick to declare that they believe in honesty, but I often witness people lying in such a casual manner that it's clear they are well practiced. When I'm in a sticky situation, I'm often advised to lie my way out.

"

Do you have small stories that you use that have an element of fibbery? Do you ever find yourself deciding that the truth isn't appropriate in certain situations? Let us know what you think!

The truth is lying is unhealthy - Orlando Sentinel

Organic Milk Ratings

2007-05-30T17:45:00.000-04:00

Here is a wonderful link to the Cornucopia Institute. This group did some checking up on Organic Milk suppliers. The result is a ranking and rating for the suppliers based upon criteria such as ownership structure, cows on pasture time, health of cows, replacement animals being organic, antibiotics and hormones used, and full disclosure of information. When you click on a particular supplier, you can see all of the criteria that was used and how the particular supplier ranked. Take some time and explore this report if you enjoy buying Organic Milk or are considering moving to it. There are some very interesting findings which will most certainly influence which brand of Organic Milk you buy.

Discovering Naturism's Natural Health Roots

2007-05-28T10:14:00.001-04:00

We just got our issue of N Magazine and it has so much great information it will take me quite a while to read it all. Of special note is Allison's article on page 20, "Discovering Naturism's Natural Health Roots - The Nature Doctors and Therpeutic Naturism." Here is the intro to the article:

The "Nature Doctors" were alternative health practitioners of the 19th century who carved a path of natural health treatments that have helped define naturopathy today. Naturopathy is a suite of health-inducing modalities whose common thread is a "back to nature" approach to living and health."

Allison did a really good job on this article and is worth the read. If you don't get N Magazine you can find it in some book stores and of course you can order a copy online.

Is your Organic food really Organic?

2007-05-09T20:02:00.001-04:00

Organic food is becoming more and more popular and companies have recognized that there is a goodmarket for Organic products. The question is, how do you know if those things labeled are indeed organic. Perhaps they are but are not quite up to the standards you would hope. And large companies make it even harder to know what farm and even country the food originates from given the large number of suppliers they use.

A great step to making things better comes from Dole. They now have on their website a way to track all of their organic products. Each product has a label with a farm code on it, enter that code into their site and you can find out more about the farm it came from.

Know of any other good resources like this? Let us know!

Related Link:

http://www.doleorganic.com/

Giving and Getting Perspective on Life

2007-04-05T12:38:00.001-04:00

Sometimes we get a great deal of insight into our daily lives by looking at things with a yogic perspective. I think we also get a great deal of insight from a purely naturist perspective.

Like me, Jamie Shane thinks of yoga as encompassing more than just a physical practice, but also more as a way of life. As she says, "One must endeavor to live yoga rather than just do yoga." We can take so many lessons of life from yoga that it can help guide us and center us.

Read Jamie's column and let us know what you think. What other modalities have the same qualities?

Living yoga: No mat required

Post your thoughts to our Discussion Forum.

Yoga vs. Plastic Surgery?

2007-04-01T21:52:00.001-04:00

This article by Alix Strauss seeks to make the case that yoga for the face is better than plastic surgery.  Which at its surface I would agree with -- I mean, this shouldn't even be a contest.  However the problem I see is that people are seeking a goal of looking different, that they don't accept themselves as they are.  And while yoga has been cited as a something that can help a variety of conditions I rather look on it as a way of life.  Naturism's idea of body/self acceptance combined with the yogic idea of non-attachment should be the hands down winner.  Accept and appreciate the person you are now, live naturally and healthy.  The way you look now is who you are and is part of your individualism.

In a way, you could say that by marketing yoga an alternative to plastic surgery to improve your appearance, the message that you need to change your looks is accepted as valid.  While it is an interesting marketing ploy, the message of body/self acceptance is more honest as it actually addresses the underlying reason why people would consider altering their appearance in the first place.

Yoga in Sum

2007-03-29T14:57:00.001-04:00

I came across this brief story about yoga today -- it nicely summarizes a few of the more commonly found yoga styles.  I will note however that I would disagree with the description of Vinyasa.  The article says, "All forms of Vinyasa are derived from Ashtanga."  I don't believe that to be true.  Vinyasa is as the article says, "a series of postures that flow into one another," but it isn't necessarily derived from Ashtanga and it doesn't have to be vigorous.  It can just as easily be a gentle class and focus on Anusara.

http://entertainment.signonsandiego.com/features/401/index.html

They did however also skip over Naturist Yoga, my personal favorite.

Bringing Yoga to Modern Girls

2007-03-27T09:45:00.000-04:00

In my day job I often find myself asked to document things, business processes, software, feature requests or even simple procedures. When I teach yoga I'm often teaching people who are at very different levels of the practice, and even have different ways of understanding what they are being taught. For both my day job and my yoga classes it is important to be very aware of who the audience is. Being effective often means tailoring your message and your words to the listener or reader -- regardless of how eloquent your own prose may be.

Yoga for kids is one of those areas where the message needs to very customized. And here is one book that seems to hold some promise. 'Strike A Pose' is a new book from Kids Can Press that, in their words, "shows how the ancient practice fits into the modern girl's life." While it includes all the usual yoga ideas, postures, meditation, breath work - it also shows them how to craft a yoga mat bag. So if you have a "Modern Girl" in your life this book may be worth checking out.

Announcing The Au-Natural Health SIG

2007-03-22T20:26:00.000-04:00

Our letter announcing this SIG is in the current issue (26.3) of N Magazine in the letters section. We will post the entire letter soon, but for now here is a excerpt:

A Healthier Way

The au-Natural Health SIG seeks to bring people together who want to have a greater understanding of their natural role in the world, and how that connection can lead to greater health. We will start publishing a quarterly newsletter that will cover topics such as herbology, homeopathy, organic foods, yoga, bodywork and more. Exploring any practice that may help contribute to a more healthy and natural lifestyle.

The idea is to take a non-dogmatic approach to various topics. Just as naturism itself accepts people as they are, The au-Natural Health SIG will have as a principle that each person will know best what works for them. You know your body better than anyone else and are the best judge for what works for you and what doesn't. Think of this SIG as a great resource to help get and share ideas that may guide us all to a healthier, balanced lifestyle.

It can be a difficult prospect to find someone who provides natural health services that is also accepting of the naturist lifestyle. So we also plan to provide a place where natural health practioners can list their services.

Join The au-Natural Health SIG

There are many roads we travel in our lives. And, there certainly are different paths which lead ultimately to the same destination. If one of your destinations in life is body acceptance, then we suggest following the path of naturism for a while, living in a more natural and healthy way, in harmony with nature. Join us in this SIG as we explore these many ideas, and perhaps even contribute some of your stories.

Many Changes and more coming

2007-03-18T13:53:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the new News page for The Au-Natural Health SIG. This page will also serve as the new homepage for the SIG. Some other changes have been made including a new general discussion forum for members, and now membership is free.

Instead of a regular printed newsletter we will be using this site, as well as publishing regular stories in N Magazine. We have some other ideas in the works as well and will let you know what we come up with.

As always, feel free to share your ideas with us and any other comments you have.

Dan