This is a post sponsored by The Vitamin Shoppe and written by our friend Debby Bruck.

The homeopathic remedy of wild rosemary or marsh tea, called Ledum palustre in the Ericaceae family, has been used to deter disease transmission, act as a relief agent or a protective spray in the garden or as a pet flea repellent for hundreds of years. The Vitamin Shoppe carries the form of Ledum, which has gone through a dilution and potentization process transforming it to a powerful immune stimulant.

Wobbley Picklet reminds us not to confuse Ledum with our common garden rosemary plant, as Ledum palustre falls into a species of rhododendron and John Henry Clarke tells us the proper part of plant to make the mother stock comes from “tincture of dried small twigs and leaves collected after flowering begins or tincture of whole fresh plant.” Homeopathic Ledum has been documented to heal puncture wounds, sores from dental injections, vaccine site inflammation, skin injuries, surgical sutures, splinters, punctures from stepping on a nail, infections from scratches and other trauma to the skin.

Documentation reveals that Ledum has been given to protect against tetanus when toxins enter the skin through a puncture wound and get trapped in a warm moist environment. Consider Ledum for spider bites and even scorpion sting.

Animals easily accept a spritz of Ledum out of a spray bottle, giving some relief from itchy fleabites and sensitive skin; an application to bedding areas and carpet might be helpful.

Mosquito and other insect bites resemble a toxic puncture wound. For persons living in the northeast and upper Midwest region of the United States, the vector borne Lyme disease may seriously cause havoc with a person’s ability to function.

Dressing with proper attire to cover areas to protect against insect exposure, checking the body and hair thoroughly, and carefully removing ticks will lessen the likelihood for Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other tick borne infections. Don’t forget to check pets and yard for infestation, as well.

Potentially, a blood titer level can be checked before and after giving Ledum to show efficacy against Lyme disease.

As Lyme disease progresses through its stages, from inflammation, arthritic stiffness, neurological headaches, heart and breathing difficulty, we can see a more complete picture of symptoms that Ledum may cover. Other treatments or homeopathic remedies may be required after infection. Please check with your physician.

For acute issues, The Vitamin Shoppe carries a few brands of Ledum palustre. When a person has a chronic or hereditary condition, like arthritis, a person needs to contact a professional homeopath experienced in finding an appropriate matching energy remedy based upon the founding principles. The homeopath will provide instructions and education on posology to understand the “minimum” dose. The homeopath will take a full case, including family propensity to organ weakness and disease. Just a small stimulus from the correct homeopathic remedy will last a longtime for self-healing to begin. A person will notice symptoms coming out either in more intensity for a short period of time, or possibly a return of symptoms from previous trauma points in life.

If you find that after a puncture wound, there is little bleeding, but noticeable pain, puffiness and the area feels cold, turns pale in color think of ledum. Coldness in general is a good clue; coldness to touch, cold feeling in the body, and cold extremities with a hot head.  We might see throbbing similar to belladonna. Even though a pale color may present, with the infection, comes bloating, edema, and purple color running down the legs. Strangely, even though feeling cold the only relief comes from plunging limbs into icy cold water. Compare the symptom picture of ledum to Hypericum, which includes nerve damage, to arnica for tissue bruising, to calendula for laceration wounds, to Pulsatilla that also gets relief from icy water, and to Formica rufa for gouty knees. Surprisingly, Ledum has claims to relieve the effects of alcoholism with a desire for whiskey. Therefore, you may see the broad coverage of this homeopathic remedy, Ledum palustre.

Debby Bruck, homeopath, educator and founder of HomeopathyWorldCommunity.com social network for homeopaths envisions the day when everyone will have knowledge about homeopathy. She hosts weekly BlogTalkRadio shows and the Health Inn live interview video internet show with alternative health experts. Everyone is welcome to join FaceBook Homeopathy World Community to learn more. This is a post sponsored by BlogDash.

Relief from anxiety in 19 seconds? A free method for increased energy, improved blood circulation, reduced swelling, and improved complexion? Studies prove that simply learning how to breathe correctly can have these remarkable effects throughout your body.

Breathing correctly can be as powerful as it is simple. The typical person only uses around twenty percent of their lung capacity, but with practice, they can learn how to tap into their lung’s full potential. Sending better oxygen content to all the cells of the body can bring dramatic changes in general health and mood.

Famous health guru, Dr. Andrew Weil, says that if he could only give one tip for better health, it would be to breathe properly. Proper breathing technique is central to the ancient practices of Yoga, Qi Gong, Ayurveda and other meditation disciplines. A clinical study* of thousands of participants over a 30-year period presents convincing evidence that the most significant factor in peak health and long life is how well you breathe.

*You can get the complete Framingham study at the National Institute of Health’s Database. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/.

Breathing correctly is critical in maintaining the level of oxygen for energy, keeping the correct pH levels in the body, and enough carbon dioxide for bodily functions. Healthy people make 93 per cent of their energy aerobically (“in the presence of oxygen,”) but poor breathing habits can reduce the amount of energy made aerobically to 84 per cent. Seventy percent of the elimination of wastes from the body is through breathing.

The good news is that poor breathing habits can be reversed. Among infants, correct breathing comes naturally. Observe a baby as it breathes to see its belly rise and fall with each breath. As we grow older, we are taught to “suck in that gut” and “puff out that chest” as we try to achieve as slim a waist as possible. Such resistance to the natural breathing posture restricts oxygen intake, which can lead to numerous physical as well as emotional problems.

“Bad” Breathing

Shallow “chest breathing” invites problems by delivering less air per breath into the lungs. Less air per breath leads to a higher number of breaths, putting in motion a series of physiological changes that constrict blood vessels. An imbalance between the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the lungs delivers less oxygen to the brain, the heart, and the rest of the body. Carbon dioxide (CO2,) is a vital gas that is produced by the body’s energy source: metabolism. The body’s ability to maintain a normal pH (the balance between acid and alkaline that regulates the body’s chemical reactions) depends on maintaining an adequate supply of CO2.

Too much oxygen and not enough carbon dioxide can create an agitated state. As you learn to exhale slowly, you conserve carbon dioxide and rebalance the system. However, too much carbon dioxide, and not enough oxygen, can create feelings of fatigue and depression. Learning to inhale slowly re-balances your system by taking in more oxygen. In extreme cases, a restricted supply of oxygen can contribute to anxiety, panic attacks, and even phobias. Less productive exhaling can also result in a buildup of toxins that would have been eliminated through breathing.

Stress, anxiety, and emotions all affect our breathing – the natural “fight or flight” response that increases respiration. As “civilized” people, we typically do not ease such state of arousal with immediate physical activity. Once breathing is in an aroused state, the physiological effects on the body remain after the stressful event has gone. Such arousal promotes rapid breathing leading to a metabolic imbalance where CO2 levels are too low and oxygen use is poor. The key element to many meditation disciplines is that breathing technique can affect one’s emotional state as much as one’s emotional state can affect one’s breathing.

“Bad breathing” is also performed through the mouth rather than the nose, especially during exercise or a stressful situation. Breathing through the mouth permits inhaling and exhaling large volumes of air quickly. This can lead to hyperventilation, diminished energy, and a weakening of health and well-being.

“Good” Breathing

It is easy to develop good breathing habits, but it takes practice. Most of us are completely unaware of our breathing – otherwise we would have to remember to inhale over 17,000 times a day! Breathing awareness and practice, or “breathwork,” is an important part of training for athletes, musicians, vocalists, and public speakers.

To achieve normal levels of oxygen and CO2 in your system, you begin by focusing your attention on breath! Your goal is to reduce the number of respirations from a standard of 12 per minute to as few as four per minute – which can be achieved with practice. Deep, slow breathing will feel unnatural to many who first try it and may be uncomfortable to some. After years of shallow “chest breathing,” some have a low CO2 concentration leaving them with a tight chest and malfunctioning diaphragm.

A slow inhale, followed by holding the breath, and concluding with an exhale twice as long as the inhale will help balance the CO2 level. One technique is called “4-7-8 Breathing” in which you inhale to the count of four, hold the breath to the count of seven, and slowly exhale to the count of eight. The slow exhale is key to most forms of breathwork, and critical to achieving stress reduction.

Bad Advice

“Take a deep breath” can be very bad advice to someone who is feeling anxious or is agitated. If such a person begins taking deep breaths, they are likely to experience an even more aroused state. A person prone to anxiety most likely is at or over their optimum CO2 level and needs to slow their respiration more than increase their intake volume through “take a deep breath.”

Such advice can lead to hyperventilation (breathing too fast.) The amount of carbon dioxide in blood generally regulates breathing and a low level of CO2 tends to make the nervous system more excitable. If carbon dioxide is released too rapidly, the arteries and blood vessels constrict and an insufficient supply of oxygen to the cells results, including blood (and oxygen) supply to the brain. Restricting oxygen supply to the brain can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and cause tension, anxiety, and mood swings. Low levels of oxygen in the brain has been associated with depression and other changes in brain waves.

Remembering to Breathe

Learning the proper breathing technique is important – remembering to practice that technique can become even more important. On a typical day, it is easy to become focused on a task (such as the computer or driving) and forget to breathe properly. The tendency is to revert into shallow “chest breathing” when focused. Regularly practicing diaphragmatic breathing, with measured inhale and exhale, and it will become the only breathing you do. But, like anything else, proper breathing is a learned skill and practice is critical.

Getting “lost” at a computer keyboard or within the pages of a good book happens to everyone. You will need a timer or similar alarm to remind you on a regular basis throughout the day to practice this skill. Kitchen timers work well as does a wristwatch alarm or cell phone alarm. As these require resetting and the audible alarm can be embarrassing in some situations, there is a “personal breathing coach” device on the market with a discreet, silent alarm (breathminder.com) that is effective.

 Internet

Articles regarding diaphragmatic breathing abound on the Internet. In addition to the many health benefits achieved through proper breathing technique, there are numerous web sites devoted to breathwork for sports, public speaking, singing, and musical instruments. Many sites incorporate breathwork into practice of meditation as well as natural healing and holistic medicine modalities. Search breathwork, diaphragmatic breathing, or simply healthy breathing to find an extensive array of materials.

Unfortunately, this information is not widespread in today’s medical community. Illness and Pathology, not Wellness, are the priority of most healthcare practitioners. In addition, things that are free and can’t be patented (like breathing) do not attract funding for research, so little finds its way into popular medical journals.

Breathe Some Life Into It

Breathwork is free and you already own the necessary equipment (lungs) so you and you can practice virtually anytime anywhere. You first want to evaluate your current normal breathing pattern, and then learn diaphragmatic breathing skills, and then to pace your breathing. Once you have achieved that level, the “trick” is to remember to practice your breathing and to perform it correctly. With time, these skills become your normal method of breathing and you begin to breathe some life into your life!