Ease Hay Fever Symptoms with Hopi Ear Candles

The Hopi Ear Candle treatment (also known as Thermo Auricular Therapy is a pleasant, non-invasive treatment which is beneficial for many problems related to the ears and head.

Ear candling is an excellent natural remedy for easing sinus and nasal congestion.  Many people who suffer from hay fever symptoms have found relief from the congestion and fuzzy headed feeling with this treatment.

      What are Hopi Ear Candles exactly?

The ear candles are actually rolled cotton tubes impregnated with beeswax, honey, St Johns Wort and therapeutic oils which are painlessly inserted into the base of the ear to draw out impurities, relieve congestion and relieve pressure in the head and sinuses.

 

Where do they originate?

Hopi Ear Candles take their name from the Hopi Native American Indian tribe, a peaceful tribe with great medicinal knowledge.  It is said that the Hopi Indians used the ear candles to clear their head before going on their shamanic journeying and indeed one of the most common benefits reported by clients is a feeling of being lighter and clearer in the head.

 

How do they work?

The ear candles have a gentle suction action (like a chimney effect) which loosens and draws out compacted wax from the ear canal to be collected in the base of the tube.  The movement of the flame creates a vibration of air in the candle which gently massages the ear drum and soothes the sinus and nasal passages. 

 

How can they help to ease hay fever symptoms?

The candles are particularly effective at treating congestion in the sinus and nasal passages.  Breathing generally becomes freer and the head feels lighter and clearer, helping to dissipate the fuzziness associated with hay fever.

I have treated numerous clients with hay fever during my 10 years as a therapist.  Client  A suffered badly with a runny nose, sore eyes and fuzzy head from the beginning of March to the end of August, despite taking general hay fever medication. During these months I usually see this client every few weeks to reduce the severity of his symptoms.  He finds ear candling an enormous help – his symptoms are noticeably reduced, he can breathe more freely and his head is clearer.

 

What else can they help with?

Ear candles can also help ease tinnitus, sinusitis, rhinitis, glue-ear, excess or compacted wax, colds and sinus headaches. They help to regulate pressure in the sinuses and inner ear canal and balance fluids in the inner ear, so are very beneficial for people with balance problems such as  Meniere’s Disease and vertigo.  They help ease sore throats, reduce catarrh and can be beneficial to asthma sufferers.  People who suffer from migraines often find that ear candling reduces the occurrence and intensity of migraines.  Ear candling also stimulates blood and energy flow and stimulates the lymphatic system and metabolism.  Ear candling is particularly useful for people who have found syringing uncomfortable.

I have found that ear candling can also help people who are prone to ear infections.  Client B went through a phase of regular ear infections which re- occurred every few months, despite taking medication.  I was able to carry out ear candling once her infection had cleared up.  After an initial course of 4 treatments, her ears were much clearer and her hearing improved.  She now has treatments every 3 or 4 months to keep her ears as healthy as possible. 

The Treatment

The client lies on their side and the lit ear candle is inserted into the base of the ear.  The therapist holds the candle in place throughout the treatment so there is no danger of it falling over.  The candle takes approximately 12 minutes to burn down.  During this time the candles often make a crackling, hissing noise which is entirely normal.  Wax deposits and impurities, along with candle residue, are collected in the base of the tube.  Once the therapist has removed the end of the candle, the client is asked to turn over and the process is repeated with the other ear.  The treatment ends with a facial massage to promote sinus and lymph drainage and to allow the client a period of relaxation.

Four to six treatments are usually recommended to treat a particular condition.  The first treatment seems to loosen up compacted wax and stimulates blood and lymph flow to the ear area, which helps to stimulate the healing process.  Improvements can usually be seen after 3 treatments.  Clients then usually take regular monthly treatments for a few months before finishing the treatment.  With hay fever, I just see clients during the spring and summer months when necessary.

 

Contra-indications

Ear candling is not suitable for people who have a perforated ear drum, grommets or implants, recently had surgery to the ear or head, recently suffered a stroke, or those with allergies to any of the candle contents. It should not be carried out if there is any pain or infection in the ear but can be performed once the infection has cleared.

  

Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Teacher, Meditation Teacher and Holistic Therapist based at Little London Herbal Stores on Kings Walk in Nottingham city centre. The Hopi Ear Candle treatment is available for £27 and lasts 1 hr.  For further information about the therapies, courses and workshops she offers, please visit her website http://helenshortland.com.

 

Increase Self-Awareness and Find Inner Peace with Vipassana (Stillpoint) Meditation

Vipassana  is the practice of stillness.  The stillness is symbolically expressed as the watchful, unmoving awareness that observes the coming and going of the in-breath and out-breath.  The mind observes the breathing and the moments in between the in-breaths and out-breaths.  It is said that the truth reveals itself in those moments.  Moreover, truth reveals itself constantly if we can drop the mental chatter that obscures it.  It is also known as Stillpoint Meditation as you are observing the still point, or space, between the thoughts.

"Vipassana" means clear insight into the real characteristics of body and mind, or ‘to see things as they really are’.  Vipassana meditation comes from the tradition of Theravada Buddhism.  It is one of India's most ancient techniques of meditation and was practised by Gotama Buddha more than 2,500 years ago.  The technique aims for the total eradication of negative thoughts, or mental impurities, and the resulting joy of liberation from negativity.  Its purpose is healing from human suffering.

Greater Self-Awareness

Vipassana is a way of self-transformation through self-observation. You start to become aware of the thoughts that you have, the majority of which are usually negative, either about yourself or others.  Initially you will be aware of the general mind chatter that is going on at the surface level of the mind, such as “I must remember to do such and such”, “Did I lock the door?”, “I must remember to put the bin out”, “Is my phone switched off?”.

As you start to relax and go deeper into meditation, other thoughts will start to come up from your subconscious mind.  These are the thoughts that are usually negative in their vibration and effects and include such things as “I’ll never be able to do this”, “I can never do this as well as him/her”, or “this is a total waste of time”. When you start to meditate on where these thoughts come from, you will find that they relate to other things you have tried to do in life where you perceived you failed or weren’t good enough.  It is so important to be aware of our underlying thoughts and beliefs because they condition your behaviour and the way you think about yourself and the world around you.

Letting Go of Negative Thoughts

With Vipassana Meditation you can see and actually remove the causes of suffering, which you will come to see are within yourself. Now that you have identified the negative thoughts you carry around in your subconscious, it is important to let them go.  The aim is not to repress or deny the existence of negative thoughts but rather to let them come up and just dismiss them.  When meditating, I often visualise a stream flowing in front of me where I deposit any negative thoughts that arise and watch them be carried away in the stream out of my consciousness.  By doing this, you are starting to consciously detach from them and, in time, they will have less influence over your conscious, day-to-day behaviour.

Finding Inner Peace

As your meditation deepens, you will notice that gradually fewer and fewer thoughts arise and you will spend more time in the silent space between the thoughts.  At this stage you reach the place of perfect peace and tranquillity that lies behind your own subconscious mind.  You have risen above and beyond your own sense of self/ego with your personal issues and behavioural conditioning and have entered the realm of pure mind, oneness and unity that is the ultimate goal of meditation.

Benefits

Regular practice of Vipassana meditation helps you to control your thoughts but, more importantly, choose your thoughts.  Long term this will help you become a more positive, effective and creative individual. Remember that your thoughts create your experiences: positive thoughts with positive energy attract positive experiences and create opportunities for you to grow as an individual; negative thoughts carry a negative energy and will attract the kinds of experiences that justify your negative beliefs. This can leave you feeling ‘stuck’ in one or more areas of life or with a feeling that your life isn’t turning out as well as it should.

Regular practice can lead to greater peace, self-control and compassion for yourself and others.  It eventually eliminates the cause of mental pain, purifies the mind and leads to a stable happiness that isn’t affected by your moods or outward circumstances.

 

 

Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Teacher, Meditation Teacher and Holistic Therapist based at Little London Herbal Stores on Kings Walk in Nottingham city centre. Her website is http://helenshortland.com.

 

Helen is currently running a 4 week Vipassana (Stillpoint) Meditation course on Wednesday mornings (beg Wed 10^th April) 10.30-11.45am which is open to all with a basic knowledge of meditation. Cost is £28 for full course or £8 for individual classes. If you wish to attend on a drop-in basis, places are still available. Each weekly class includes a relaxation exercise, a guided visualisation and Vipassana Meditation practice.  Please email helenshortland@live.co.uk or contact her on 07748 591690 for further information and/or to book a place.

 

The Power of Intention applied to Healing

A couple of months ago I came across an article about a new therapy called Resolution Magic which was based on the idea that we can firmly tell painful conditions such as stomach ache, back ache, joint pain, migraines and headaches to go away.  Could something so simple actually work I thought?  Well I tried it with my own lower back pain, on another occasion when I had stomach ache and with a sore throat and runny nose when I thought I was going down with a cold, and I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised!  I found I had to repeat the phrase “pain go away now” or “runny nose be gone now” every now and again when the symptoms seemed to return but the effectiveness of this totally natural approach to pain management and healing was truly remarkable.  When saying the words, I said them silently to myself, (ideally they should be said out loud), with a real force or energy behind them.  According to the article, you can also use this technique to say “Go away!” to conditions like anxiety, low mood and bad memories.
 

How It Works

The theory behind Resolution Magic states that abnormal electrical waves in our nervous system are the cause of symptoms of dis-ease, for example epilepsy is known to be caused by a disruption to the brain’s electrical activity. Electricity travels along the nerves to the various parts of the body, causing painful symptoms.  Memories and unwanted feelings can trigger this movement of electricity.  By telling our bodies to stop the pain, we are aiming to retrain the subconscious part of the brain so that it gradually stops sending out abnormally strong electrical waves.  I believe that when we send a new command to a part of the body that is functioning incorrectly, the energy that travels with that intention creates new neurological pathways that bypass the old ineffective ones.

 

A Combined Approach

It is however worth bearing in mind that pain arises in the body for a reason, and except in cases of mild headache, stomach ache from over-eating or eating the wrong food, or backache from postural aches and pains, symptoms should be checked out with a doctor for any other more serious underlying conditions.  This ‘mind over matter’ technique is a natural approach to healing which, along with other therapies such as Reiki, Reflexology or Meditation, should be used in conjunction with other general conventional medical treatment/medication you are already using.

 

Using the Power of Intention in Daily Life

We can all use this power on a regular basis to help bring about the best possible outcome for any situation.  In Reiki Level 2 you learn to visualise events turning out well, for the highest good of all concerned, then send Reiki to that image.  Whenever you have a health problem, set the intention by stating to yourself that you will receive all the help and support you need.  When you do this, doors can metaphorically open and you will find that you draw the right people to you, find an article or book that can help, discover a different medication or supplement to try, or just find new ways to cope.  When visiting the doctor, ask your guides and angels to assist him/her with their diagnosis and help you get the best possible treatment. Help doesn’t always come in the way you expect it to but you will always get the help you need if you remain open to all possibilities.

 

Using the Power of Intention to Optimise Healing

I believe that the theory behind Resolution Magic can be applied to other forms of healing such as creative visualisation, Reiki and spiritual healing.  According to the way energy flows, action always follows intention.  You are in effect creating an opening, space or energy pathway which can deliver the greatest possible results.  All Reiki healers tap into the power of intention when they give a Reiki treatment.  At Reiki 1 you set the intention that they energy flows for the recipient’s highest and greatest good and at Level 2 you use the symbols to establish the same intention.

You can also use the power of your mind to send healing energy to a particular body part.  Sit quietly and take some deep breathes in and out then visualise a beam of pure white light shining down upon you, entering your crown chakra and moving down your body to the part that needs healing.  (You can also send it to a particular chakra or an area of your mind that needs clearing.)  Set the intention for the body part to be returned to its perfect divine blueprint and visualise it healing and repairing itself.  Here is where you can start to get creative …! You can visualise a weak organ glowing with health and vitality and functioning effectively; broken or fractured bones knitting together; compressed spinal discs stretching out; lubricating a painful joint with a liquid healing balm; tight, tense muscles relaxing and stretching out, soothed by a blue healing balm.  If you have cold or flu symptoms or other infection, visualize your white blood cells attacking an army of invading bacteria and dissolving them.

You can also put the power of intention to work to heal psychological states of mind.  For example, if you are prone to shyness, anxiety or anger, you can visualize yourself acting in a more positive manner, thinking the associated positive thoughts and feeling more positive emotions such as serenity and being in control.  Repeating this exercise over several days or weeks leads to a marked decrease in the negative emotion concerned and an increase in positive states of mind.  Gradually the positive quality will manifest more and more in your conscious behaviour.  You will be able to cope with all stressful real life situations more calmly and effectively.  The visualization gradually sinks into your subconscious mind, resulting in a new behavioural pattern or ‘program’.

Repeat these exercises regularly and you will be amazed at the improvements you can make to your health, your wellbeing and your life.

 

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”

From ‘Return to Love’ by Marianne Williamson

 

Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Teacher, Meditation Teacher and Holistic Therapist based at Little London Herbal Stores on Kings Walk in Nottingham city centre.

Notes:

Helen Shortland runs courses in Healing Meditation.  Her next workshop will be one Saturday afternoon in the summer (date tbc – please see website www.helenshortland.co.uk or see newsletter for details).  A Healing Meditation CD will also be available to purchase from May 2013, priced £12 plus £2 p&p, for use at home. If you wish to purchase one, please send a cheque made payable to Helen Shortland to Little London Herbal Stores, 9 Kings Walk, Nottingham, NG1 2AE with a note of your name and address.

Helen’s next meditation course is a 4 week Vipassana (Stillpoint) Meditation course commencing Wed 10^th April 10.30-11.45am which is open to all with a basic knowledge of meditation. Cost is £28 for full course or £8 for individual classes.  Please email helenshortland@live.co.uk for further information and/or to book a place.

For more information on Resolution Magic, visit www.resolutionmagic.com.