Healing My Cold

I have had a cold now for about a week. A stuffy, sinus-clogging cold. A cold that has rendered me unable to taste, which is the worst symptom by far [I love eating!]. I must admit, when I felt the first signs that a cold was descending upon me, I did not take it seriously enough. I did turn to my usual allies - echinacea tincture, homemade elderberry syrup, raw garlic and radishes, ginger-lemon-turmeric tea - but without enough consistency or dedication. It was a busy week, and I put many other things before taking care of myself.

Fresh turmeric and ginger make a great anti-inflammatory tea.

I did, however, hit the neti pot up hard. I have a great love affair with my neti pot. I use it on a daily basis even when I don't have a cold, and when I do, I use it twice a day. Many times have I attributed the healing of a cold to my beloved neti pot.

Slice up an inch of each, add 3 cups of water, and simmer 30 min.  Strain and add lemon juice.

But me and neti have had some issues this time around. I am so stuffy, there hasn't been a lot of flow through the nose. I have been very persistent with it, however, and have now managed to bring my left ear into this mess as well. Somehow all the unsuccessful neti potting has unbalanced the equilibrium between my ear canals and my sinuses, and my left ear really hurts.

All of this background story is to explain why today, I have felt like crap [oh wait - I left out some parts. Mina was up for many hours last night, so I got very little sleep. And the coyotes returned last night and killed our third sheep, Laura.]

So Mina and I were laying down for a nap, and I was feeling grumpy and icky and sick. Mina was more interested in playing than napping [unlike her mother.] Instead of fighting her, I started focusing on my womb area, my root. This is a practice that helps connect me to my feminine spirit. I breathed light into that space, expanding my feminine energy and feeling love and relaxation from it. [If this is something that intrigues you, I would urge you to read Wild Feminine by Tami Lynn Kent.] After a few minutes, I realized Mina was quiet. I opened my eyes to find her fast asleep.

Visualizing healing

Then my intuition guided me on what to do next. I got up, brushed my teeth, fixed my hair, and put on big and beautiful jewelry. I wrapped myself in a blanket and sat right next to the fire. I grounded and prepared myself with my daily meditation [which i will share with you on another day]. Then I focused on my head. I visualized white healing light coming in through my nose with my inhalations, and exhaling through my mouth, I released stagnant energy. I did this for five or ten minutes, with strength and intention.

And my sinuses totally started to open up.

Next my healing hands began to massage my achey face - the bridge of my nose, the bones under my eyes, across my cheekbones, along my jaws. I kept my focus on bringing in healing energy (white light) and releasing stagnation.

When I was done, I felt revived. I got up and danced a little bit, to keep the energy flowing through my whole body [I highly recommend that you dance as much as possible.]

I think that the most important result of my little healing session was the change in my attitude. By connecting with my feminine spirit, I evolved from being a sad and sorry case to an empowered healer. Taking myself into my own hands, I applied my love and wisdom. I still had a cold, but my day turned from a crappy one into one of beauty and gratitude.

And that, really, is what healing is all about.