This is my personal favorite. I love water and I love the feeling of water flowing over my hands, even as I wash dishes! And I absolutely love being caught in the rain. Take a water bath when you need to be revitalized, when you feel drained. You can take a water bath in the obvious way, by getting into the tub, but avoid a bubble bath and try using sea salts instead. Bring a cup into the tub with you to scoop up the water and pour it slowly down your shoulders and arms. Imagine that you are cleansing on a different level and that your energy is being restored. You will start to feel revitalized and energized without feeling hyper and panicky. A shower is also another way to reap the benefits of water. When taking a water bath, keep in mind that cool water clears energy while hot water sets it, so it is a good idea to use lukewarm water when you are trying to clear or move your energy.

If you are lucky enough to have access to a pond or lake, take advantage of the opportunity to do some deep cleansing. You can float in the water, allowing it to pull away threads of strain and exhaustion. A quick way to recharge yourself is simply to run your hand under cool water at the sink.

Fire:

The fire bath is not as dramatic as it may sound! There is no need to plunge your body into flames or anything that extreme! Fire revitalizes creativity. The creative force lies within us all. How many times have you heard someone say, “that sparked an idea”, or “I just got a flash of inspiration”? The creative process is stimulated by fire. If you seem to have lost the muse, try lighting a candle and gazing into the flame. If you have a fireplace or fire pit, sit in front of it and allow the warmth to permeate your body and relax your mind.

Sometimes the creative process is blocked when we think too hard; let the fire become a distraction from everyday concerns. Of course, you must exercise caution and not become so distracted that you fail take commonsense precautions when a fire is burning or candles are lit. Fire is also pleasant to use when we to connect your family.

Think of the times that families sat around fires, huddling for warmth, or telling stories. Keeping the fire burning was essential for survival and nowadays; we need to keep the creative fires burning, too.

You may realize that you have been taking Elemental baths for years. There are few rules and we all can benefit from consciously deciding to bathe our energy in the elements. You can combine the baths for a balancing experience. For example, lighting a wand of ceremonial sage and fanning your self with the smoke is a combination of fire and air. By adding flower essences, salts, or clays to your bath you are combining earth and water. Remember that nature gives us opportunities every day, so the next time you are caught in a summer shower let a little rain fall on your face. Or join your kids outside and make mud pies. These simple and inexpensive pleasures can be enjoyed by anyone. You’ll see the benefits.

The four elements of earth, air, fire and water each have their own special ability to influence our personal energy. Stress or illness can displace energy, as can environmental factors like noise and pollution. Sometimes we see that the energy of an entire family is stagnant and this has a crippling effect on the familys ability to function as a whole. In this case a cleansing may be necessary for the entire family.

The concept of an Elemental bath is not new. How often have you taken your shoes and socks off at the beach, just so you can walk along the waters edge and feel the sand and water on your feet? Or do you love being barefoot on soft grass? These pleasures are more than tactile sensations we enjoy. They serve a deeper purpose and are forms of Elemental bathing. I will describe different types of Elemental baths and encourage you to try one that resonates with your spirit. You can practice them in a series to incorporate perfect balance and harmony into your life, or even combine them; however, starting with just one can be a very powerful experience.

Earth:

The earth is all around us. We walk on her, we work on her, and we live on her. An earth bath is a grounding and settling experience, perfect for times you feel out of it or spacey. Sometimes when I need to focus on a special project or am having trouble making a decision, I take an earth bath to bring me back to earth. An earth bath can involve simply going outside and putting my palms flat down on the grass or covering myself from head to toe with cosmetic clay (an earth product).

It is not only the act, but also your thoughts about the act that create the cleansing or grounding experience. Try sitting outside on the grass or beach and imagine that you are not separate from the earth, but are a part of it.

Allow yourself to feel connected to the core of the earth and feel sparks of stable energy pulsing through your spine. You can also give yourself mini earth baths by keeping a bowl of sand at your desk.

When you need to focus, simply pour sand from one hand to the other, releasing anxiety into the sand or pulling balanced energy out of it. Gardening is another way to experience the earth bath.

Air:

I take an air bath when I feel stifled or irritated. It is wonderful if you can go outside in the wind or gentle breeze, but if not, do not despair. You can always set up a fan at the foot of your bed; it is the movement of air that is important, not necessarily the source. If you can stand in the wind with your feet firmly planted on the ground, arms outstretched and head back, you are in the perfect position to receive the benefits of an air bath. Imagine that the breeze is lifting a thin and cloudy film off of you. Imagine that this film is being swept far away, leaving you feeling much lighter and more relaxed. If you are unable to go outside, open a window and feel the breeze lifting the film of depression or irritation away. A fan blowing gently into a room serves the same purpose. Wind or air can send our spirits soaring or, at the very least, give us a lift and diffuse irritation or misplaced rage. Allow winds of change to help you find a new outlook on an old situation.

A.Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, an organism similar to the bacterium that causes syphilis. Lyme disease in humans can take several forms, often called stages. The first stage is manifest by a rash called “erythema chronicum migrans.” An enlarging red lesion develops at the site of the tick bite.

As it expands, over several days, there is often partial clearing of the center of the lesion, creating a “bull’s-eye” appearance, which is classic for Lyme disease. In the second stage, the organism disseminates to various parts of the body. Some people develop scattered lesions that are similar to the initial “bull’s-eye.”

At this stage, there can be a wide variety of symptoms, including meningitis (infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord), nerve damage, headache, fever, hepatitis (liver infection) and a host of other less common findings. In the third stage, also called persistent infection, arthritis and chronic nervous-system changes can be seen.

In most people, the arthritis resolves, but some develop chronic or recurrent inflammation of the joints. In other patients, or in some with arthritis, a chronic nervous-system disorder develops. There can be loss of memory, decreased concentration, mood changes or language problems.

Typically, new studies about the causes of breast cancer receive wide coverage. When there are possible practical implications for human health, many are touted almost as if they had already been proven. The results — especially if you only read the headlines — can be more confusing than enlightening.

Take, for example, some news stories on risk factors for breast cancer research that have appeared just in the last couple of weeks. First came a report — under the headline “Estrogen breakdown affects breast cancer risk” — about a study that examined the body?s processing of the female hormone estrogen, and how that affected the risk of developing breast cancer in premenopausal women. One means of processing seemed to be linked to an increased risk. The study authors speculated that diet might affect how the hormone is processed, although their study didn?t address this point directly.

Then came a story about the research of a British scientist who had reviewed both basic biological and epidemiological data on breast cancer — he was trying to find a single factor that would be instrumental in causing the majority of cases. The Reuters headline for this story was: “High-fat diet may contribute to breast cancer risk.” The author focused on dietary fat, and he suggested that while fat itself might not be a direct cause of breast cancer, he postulated that it depletes the body of some agent that protects against the disease.

Most recently, a group of scientists from Harvard University presented data that combine aspects of both of the other studies. This one was under the Reuters heading “Fatty diet not linked to breast cancer.” These authors examined the blood estrogen levels in older women, and looked for an association with dietary fat intake — since some studies have suggested that high-fat diets are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Since estrogen is thought to promote breast cancer, one might predict that women on a higher fat diet would have more estrogen and therefore a greater risk of developing breast cancer. In other words, the expectation was that the more fat in the diet, the greater the estrogen level.

But things didn?t work out that way — in fact, the women with the higher dietary fat had lower levels of estrogen. The authors had to conclude that their data did not support the theory that dietary fat increases the risk of breast cancer by increasing women?s blood levels of estrogen.

So what can a woman derive from these studies? Nothing directly helpful, perhaps, especially if one doesn?t read beyond the headlines. The most useful way to view such work is to realize that this is an area of active research, and that definitive answers are not yet available. In a recent publication, “Risk Factors for Breast Cancer,” the American Council on Science and Health explains that not all the factors we see discussed in the media are well supported by the scientific evidence. In fact, specific dietary factors, such as high fat and low fiber intake, and light alcohol consumption, are no more than speculative — not firmly established.

Possibly most important should be the realization that individual studies, no matter how well designed, rarely, if ever, prove a theory — it is the overall results of numerous scientific studies that will eventually do so. So while it is important to keep up with what is happening in health-related research, it is equally important to retain a balanced viewpoint, and not make large lifestyle changes based on preliminary studies or small amounts of data.

It depends on who you pose the question to.

When you inquire of a medical professional at a state-run hospital, you will be told that detoxifying foot pads aren’t effective.

This is understandable. They don’t care for something derived from the arena of alternative health treatments. The truth is, they are skeptical about anything that is natural.

Yet this can be explained as well. They are merely trying to protect their own positions! They don’t care for uncomplicated cures that could replace their costlier remedies. This explains why we are unable to get a remedy to cure HIV, cancer, diabetes and so on. The global health care industry has developed into one concerned with profitability rather than caring for wellness.

Yet when you inquire of those outside of the medical profession, you will hear a different account.

Subjects who have worn detoxifying foot pads have obtained only good outcomes. The changes to their sleep habits, amount of energy and general wellness were absolutely astounding.

There were studies done on subjects using foot pads in lab settings. There are a lot of laboratory studies that detected levels of lead, arsenic, nickel, aluminum, cadmium and phthalates. Yet as they checked the patches that had not been worn, they discovered just natural substances.

There is evidence to back the claim that the detoxing foot pads are able to remove toxins from your body.

And it is possible to put them to the test. Have a blood test performed before and after wearing foot pads for a month, to check whether your blood’s lead concentration is lowered.

Those who are doubters say the change in the pad’s coloration is just due to moisture from perspiration. Yet how do you explain the color fading away till eventually it is transparent within a matter of days? The explanation for the change in shade is due to the lowering of the levels of toxins from the body.

Also, don’t forget another significant consideration. Avon, along with the top retail druggist in the US, CVS, markets detoxifying foot pads too. What reason would these reputable businesses have for endorsing anything fraudulent? Do you feel they would ascertain the product’s success prior to placing their own name on the label?

With physicians frequently prescribing patches for contraception and cigarette addiction, why are we cynical about the effectiveness of detox foot pads?

The truth is that detoxification foot pads accomplish precisely what their makers claim.

Even if you are cynical, give them a chance before you forgo the idea.

You need to always consider an important factor, though. Cheaper duplicate products are on the market that are not as well-made and even may contain harmful ingredients.

Select just those products that have been tested and demonstrated effective. These are the ideal detox foot pads which routinely yield successful outcomes.