Four Winds Fall Newsletter Copyright 2013 Nicholas Schnell Fall Greetings Ah, take a deep breath and inhale. Fall is in the air and it is time to slow down. We have some exciting seasonal wisdom to share with everyone. Our healing business has expanded into a new level of growth, and we are making some exciting changes to better serve our wonderful clients. This newsletter also features some deep seasonal wisdom for your reading and learning enjoyment. Nicholas waxes poetic about the season, emotional transformation, diet and other activities. Nicholas will have a few healing classes coming up this month. We also have our Home and Family Herbalist Program starting in February. We just took Four Winds through our own alchemical metal change and hope you enjoy the news. Office Email Four Winds is going digital in an effort to keep up with clients’ questions and refill orders. We are doing our best to create changes to keep up with the higher demand. Four Winds staff is actively creating effective solutions to get back to people easier and more efficiently and have created an office email account to do so. The office email is: fourwindsnhc@gmail, and this email account will be checked throughout the day during regular business hours (M-F 9:30-5:30). You are welcome to email questions, complete weekly check-ins and place orders. This will make getting back to people more efficient and easier. New Refill Policy Four Winds has continued to grow – we often fill upwards of 100 formulas a day! A considerable amount of time (15 minutes or more) and effort goes into keeping up with our new FDA policies which directly affects each formula filled. When you call or email for a refill of your custom compounded liquid formulas we now require that you request two or more bottles. In order to keep up with the demand, Four Winds staff will only be able to fill two or more tinctures and/or glycerites at a time. This change enables us to better and more efficiently serve clients’ needs, maintain all of FDA paperwork, help us keep our costs low and helps the staff be happier and more joyful. The happier the staff, the better the quality of formulas filled! If people cannot financially afford more than one, then we completely understand and will accommodate you. For everyone else, we thank you for supporting us with this new policy. Labeling of Formulas Please know that we have separate programs for making custom formulas and the labels on their bottle. Every formula is double checked by two people to assure accuracy, as part of our FDA process. Sometimes we forget to make changes to the label. Please know that this is just a labeling mistake and not a formula mistake. Please feel free to call if you ever have any questions about the label. Rescheduling Appointments Please, also remember to give a 24 notice for cancelations or reschedules. We are incorporating our original policy of $35 for people who do not show up for their appointments or give us less than a 24 hour notice. No show appointments prevent those who are in great need from getting into appointments. This policy is a reflection of ourdedication to our patients and their healing journey. Understanding Fall Fall is the most critical time of the year for health. This is especially true for immune diseases and weakened immune system. A healthy body during Fall will make for a healthy Winter without fatigue and chronic infections. Fall relates to the metal element in Traditional Chinese Medicine which regulates the lymph, large intestine, lung and skin. Signs of a metal imbalance include: fatigue, chronic skin diseases, acne, dry scaly skin, chronic infections, sinus infections and congestion, chronic allergies, weak immune system, respiratory diseases, chronic lung infections, depression and seasonal affective disorder. Many “diseases” are nothing more than the body not being strong enough to handle the seasonal change. I call this “seasonal change imbalance.” Committing to a two week Fall cleanse is the best way to help your body synchronize with the season. Fall – Metal Element Season Fall marks the beginning of metal element in Classical Chinese Medicine. This is the gradual descent and slow down into winter hibernation. It is time to start slowing down, have shorter “to do” lists, stay at home more with the family relaxing, less running around and less responsibilities. Ironically, metal/fall is considering the beginning of the new cycle of elements in Chinese cultures. All processes start with metal. The Life Alchemy of Metal There are two key concepts to understand about metal: 1) the process of letting go and 2) the process of refinement. Refinement. Whenever one finds metal in nature, it does not look the beautiful polished metals you see used in jewelry and collecting. Metal has to be filtered out to remove the gross material surrounding it. Then it has to be further refined to remove small impurities by fire. This is symbolic itself of the good side of metal. Balancing metal requires one to remove everything from our life or mind that is holding us back. First we do it in a general process, such as letting go of negative people in our life or creating new positive affirmations or new goals for our life. The second stage of metal is more mysterious. It requires fire. Fire, in all ancient culture’s writing, is represented by your inner mind. The second stage is much more internal, quiet and contemplative. It is a process only you can do by yourself, because it is your inner mind. No counseling or talk therapy can facilitate this process. I would say this is often a missing part of counseling for some people. In Chinese they say, “It is a lonely process”. This is because it was often done by retreating from the world to be in isolation. We do not need to go to this extreme, but a silent personal retreat can be a good way to facilitate this change. Sitting in a cabin for a weekend by yourself to write and vision is a great way to do this. Fall seems to lend itself to doing this type of activity. We would say this is an “alchemical” change. This means we deeply, deeply change something so it never returns. One example would be breaking through a deep spiritual or negative thinking cycle so profoundly that it never surfaces again. This second, deeper, inner process requires meditation also. It can only be accomplished with reflection and meditation. Meditation simply means stopping all outward movement and sitting being quiet. It does not have to be sitting in full lotus - it can just be sitting outside in nature listening to the motion of everything alive. This is contemplative tradition in many religious or meditative practices in other cultures. Silence is the key. Mediation can be done lying, seated, at work or anytime. It is more about quieting down. Only when we sit in peace and quiet can we see this mysterious inner mind we have. We cannot see our true inner mind and true self until we can find quiet and solitude. When we find it, it is better than a genie in a bottle or google. You can have access to everything you need to know in your own life. Fall is the most important season to start meditating again, as we cool down from all the activity of summer. Metal and Letting Go The second process of metal is letting go. This simply means to let go of anything in our life or mind that does not serve our highest good. Sometimes we have to get our “metal sword” to cut things out. Other times we can be gentle and soft with ourselves. Take time to let go of at least one thought and one behavior that does not serve you. We all know what those things are, because they often generate a lot of stress and emotion in our life. We may need to let go of old self beliefs. Common negative metal self-beliefs are feelings of being impure, “dirty”, unclean or unworthy. These often come from inappropriate or over fanatically religious ideas or self-concepts imposed by close family members in our young childhood. Maybe you need to let go of a relationship or friendship that does not serve you. Maybe you have a friend that is a major negative influence and it is time to remove them from your life until they heal. This is not being mean, it is about respecting your own self-worth and joy. Metal Activities Engaging metal activities is one way to balance metal/lungs/grief this season. Metal is somewhat solitary, so this is the time of year to focus on your own personal spiritual and life goals. Who are you? What do you want to be? What is your highest potential on all aspects of your life – personal, career, spiritual, family, etc? We start by getting clear on who we are, deep in our inner mind. Then we bring this out to creating our dream life. This is the time of year to start working on your goals, new years resolutions, vision boards, fun lists, etc. If you are not happy and self-actualized, then everyone around you will not be. In essence, if you are not happy, everyone around you will be not happy. It all starts with this basic metal footwork. Everything should be in place by the return of winter. Winter is about family and the time of year to focus on family goals and visions. Metal People Metal people, those with a metal constitution in Classical Chinese Medicine, are often somewhat quiet, do not speak as much, stoic, restrained and often removed from society. These people naturally gravitate towards mountain men/women, monastic and other activities that create isolation. We should honor this in others, not look down upon it. We also need to embrace the fact that we need all the elements in our life to be full, so we can remind these people about the need for love (fire) and community (wood). Diet for Fall Diet changes are essential for helping the body to go through the seasons. The healthier the diet, the stronger the body and more adaptable it is. Each season has a specific dietary change and specific foods to emphasize. Eating all local and seasonal foods is the foundation for any seasonal diet. Sorry, no bananas from Ecuador during Winter! The further we go into Fall, the more protein we need to add to our diet to keep our body warm and our energy strong. This can be from animal or vegetarian sources. Soups, stews, crock-pot cooking and slow roasting are the preferred cooking methods. This creates warmth in our body and digestive system, further strengthening immunity. Pungent is the flavor of the metal element. Pungent foods and spices should be added to the diet throughout Fall. Garlic, onions, leeks, shallots, chives, turmeric, cumin, curry, radish, cayenne and ginger are all great pungent spices to use in moderation. It is also important to focus more on eating deeply nourishing root vegetables this time of year. Class – Self Healing Meditation Nicholas will be teaching a mediation class called, “Self-Healing Meditation”. This is one of his favorite meditation techniques he learned from Shi Fu Chen. He has also added some of his own insightful steps based on his work with clients over the past 12 years. The techniques help facilitate healing in all the tissues, meridians and internal organs of the entire body. It can be used to help with any disease or any chronic stress condition. The meditation is a very simple and easy to follow – you even get to lay down for it! People of all health levels may attend. Class is limited to 10 people, so call in advance to reserve a spot. Date: October 26th, Saturday Time: 10 AM – 11:30 Cost: $30 Location: TBA To Register: Call the office at 402-933-6444 or email the office fourwindsnhc@gmail. Note: Please wear comfortable clothes. Bring a mat or soft blanket to lie on. Free Community Lecture at No Name Nutrition Natural Remedies for Infections, Colds, Sinus and Lung Date: Tuesday, October 29th Time: 6:30 PM to 7:15 PM Cost: Free Location: No Name Nutrition health food store at 2032 North 72nd Street Description: Free class will cover safe, effective and quick acting herbal remedies for most all common infections. Class will cover bacterial infections, viral infections, sinus congestion and lung congestion. Class will also cover basic home remedies such as herbal baths, plasters and poultices. Class – Primordial Chi Kung I (Part I of a series) Date: November 16th, Saturday Time: 10 AM – Noon Cost: $35 Location: TBA Description: This is the best chi kung form to learn to rejuvenate the body and reverse disease! Learn the complete Wu Dang Hun Yun (Primordial) Chi Kung form. Students will learn the basic theory of chi kung, longevity effects, history of chi kung, breath work and the entire 12 posture set. Class will also cover basics of guiding internal chi movement to rejuvenate the whole body. This is the simplest and easiest to learn chi kung form to restore the adrenals, balance hormones, reverse chronic diseases, reverse the aging process and cultivate vitality. To Register: Call the office at 402-933-6444 or email the office at fourwindsnhc@gmail. Prairie Star Center for Herbal Studies Our exciting Home & Family Herbalist Program is starting on February 13th, 2014! This is a 13 month class that will cover all the basics of herbal healing and natural health - everything natural you need to know to heal yourself and your family will be covered. The foundations of herbal theory, disease theories, herbal actions, basic disease conditions, assessment, intake, drug interactions and so much more! A working knowledge of over 100 herbs will be covered. Students will also learn how to make every type of herbal medicine including tinctures, glycerites, salves, suppositories, enemas, oils, liniments, plasters, poultices and much more. Class will also address identifying and harvesting local plants. Anyone interested can call the office or email Nicholas at spiritbear4@msn. Based on class size, we may need to find a larger location to accommodate the group. If anyone has any suggestions for locations, please pass them along. For anyone interested, we can send an updated class description we are currently working on. Conclusion We know you will appreciate and enjoy the rewards of these changes. We hope you can joyful integrate all the seasonal wisdom and diet changes. We look forward to being a vital part of our community for many more years. We are excited that everyone is growing alongside us. We wish you and your family the best of health and joy this season! Thanks, Nicholas, Kristin, Chrissy, Angie, Beverly, Cori, Amalea
Posted on: Wed, 16 Oct 2013 17:12:49 +0000
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