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This should be drunk three times a day.
When there are any unbroken chilblains, they can be treated successfully by the application of a thin layer of Cayenne ointment, applied very sparingly.
The lymphatic system is a series of vessels whose job it is to return inter- and intra-cellular fluid back to the blood stream from whence it came. However, in the process of this apparently passive job of transport, much vital work goes on. It is through the lymphatic drainage of the cells, tissues and organs that cleansing largely occurs. The proper flow and coherence of the lymphatic system is thus vital to the body function and must be considered when approaching the body from a holistic point of view. A second major function of this system occurs in the lymphatic glands, as the anti-microbial activity of the body is partially located there. This function has been considered in various parts of the book, but especially in the chapter on ears, nose, throat and eyes. Swollen glands may occur wherever there are lymph glands, common sites being the throat, under the arms, the breasts and the tops of the legs in the groin. Herbs like Cleavers, Echinacea, Golden Seal, Marigold and Poke Root may be considered to be lymphatic cleansers and may be used as such wherever they are needed.
Golden Seal
A cleansing diet is called for wherever there is any suspicion of lymphatic trouble. A fruit-based cleansing diet would be best. In such a diet, the following sources of food should be avoided or kept to a minimum. This will give the lymphatic system a rest from overload with inappropriate foods:
—Red meats
—Greasy, fatty foods and fried foods
—Cheese, butter, cream, milk
—Vinegar and pickles
—Alcohol
—Sugar and sugar-based products
—Artificial additives, preservatives, colourings, flavourings.
Avoidance of these foods will help the body, but with the use of the right foods, an active cleansing through the diet can take place. Fresh fruit and vegetables provide the basis here. For a thorough cleansing, it is best to go on a fruit diet for a while and then reintroduce other foods. The following is a short list of appropriate foods:
—Fresh fruits, especially oranges, grapes and apples
—Fresh green vegetables
—White meat and white fish if desired
A herbal mixture that will aid the lymphatic system wherever the problem arises is the following:
| Echinacea | 2 parts |
| Cleavers | 1 part |
| Golden Seal | 1 part |
| Poke Root |
1 part  |
This should be drunk three times a day.
This sort of mixture could be used in other conditions wherever it is thought that the lymphatic drainage needs support.
* For an explanation of this symbol see here
The breath of life becomes the cause of death to one who lives within a shell.
Alice Bailey
The air we breathe is spiritual ecology in action. When we draw in the breath of life, we share that air with all other human beings, all life on our planet. It is through respiration that our oneness with the trees becomes a manifest fact, and our communion with the oceans has immediate impact. Through the circulation of the gases and energy of the atmosphere, the reality of the planetary whole reveals itself, with implications for all human life. This vision underlies holistic healing as much as it does ecology—the science of the whole. From the perspective of spiritual ecology we can repeat the question of the mystics: “Who is breathing?”
Every minute, usually unconsciously, we breathe in and out between ten and fifteen times. We move enough air to and fro every day to blow up several thousand balloons. In this way the body can extract the oxygen it needs from the air and discharge waste carbon dioxide from the blood.
Whilst only one-fifth of the air is oxygen, this is the part our body needs for our survival, as oxygen is needed by every cell in the body to release the energy that is locked in food reserves. Many cells can survive for a period of time without oxygen, others need a constant supply. Brain cells die—and cannot be replaced—if they lack oxygen for more than a few minutes.
Supplying the cells of the body with oxygen is the responsibility of the respiratory and circulatory systems. This process is controlled by the brain via the medulla oblongata in the brain stem, where messages concerning blood composition are integrated with other information, thus regulating the appropriate breathing rhythm.
The ebb and flow of the breath draws into the being life-energy. Thus if there are respiratory disturbances which inhibit gas exchange, they can lead to a lowering of the body’s vitality, an increase in metabolic disorders, and degeneration of tissue.
The anatomy and physiology of the respiratory system is a complex and beautiful embodiment of integration and wholeness.
Prevention of respiratory disease
We are not only what we eat, but also what we breathe. Any problem with breathing will not only affect other organs and systems, but may well cause disease in these systems. However, as the body is a whole, the reverse is also true. When the lungs need to be treated, we also have to look at the circulatory system;
