Full Spectrum Holistic Health: Recent Episodes
Dr. Anthony Burton
This podcast is hosted by Anthony Burton, PhD: Reiki Master, EFT therapist, meditation teacher, and shamanic practitioner. Tune in to hear stuff that will energize you, balance you, inform you, and help you to be your very best!
Spectrum Holistic is a small complementary health and wellness business located in NW Georgia, USA. Check out the website at http://www.spectrum-holistic.com for more information.
Email me at anthony@spectrum-holistic.com
No matter who you are, eventually you get sick or injured. It may be just a cold, or something much more virulent. You may cut a finger, or break a leg. No matter whether large or small, it's important to heal, completely and quickly.
In this episode, I talk about some things that can have an impact on your healing--either positive or negative. If you'd like to know more about these factors and what you can do to help yourself to heal, take a listen. And as always, please feel free to leave a comment.
In this episode, I am privileged to interview Robin Hancock, a trained and certified Forest Bathing nature guide who lives in the mountains of NW Georgia, USA. If you have listened to my podcast before, you may have heard me talk about the benefits of Shinrin Yoku (the Japanense phrase for Forest Bathing). Robin is much more knowledgeable about this topic than I, and in fact has a business where she organizes and leads Forest Bathing experiences.
You can find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/renewalbynatureguides, or at her own web page http://www.renewal-by-nature.com/
I am sure you will find much of interest in both this podcast and on her website.
Today's episode is about acupuncture, and I have a great guest, Deanna Stennett, a Georgia-licensed and Nationally Certified Acupuncturist. Because of various delays since this was recorded, Deanna's Ellijay, GA, location has very recently changed. Her Ellijay location is now at the Natural Wellness Center on Kiker Street in Ellijay.
Her website URL is www.acupunctureinnorthgeorgia.com , but it may not yet have the correct Ellijay, GA address!
Also, please be aware that the interview portion of this episode was recorded using different equipment and in different surroundings than usual (after service in our Unitarian Universalist Church), so you will notice a difference in audio quality and background noise. I have tried my best to minimize this, but I ask your forgiveness and hope you will find the information in this episode interesting anyway!
(My apologies... I labeled this as "CONFINED Animal..." and not "CONCENTRATED Animal...". I have actually heard them referred to with both terms, but Concentrated is the preferred term.)
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations are proliferating across America, and have even begun to spread to the UK and other countries. No scientific body nor ecological body approves of their existence, because of the immense harm CAFOs cause to the environment, the health of the people who live around the CAFO, and even to the economy.
In addition to the information in this episode, I am including some links to places that will give you more detailed information about these things, and the horrific impact they have on the environment, public health, and the economy. Please take some time to check some of them.
I apologize for the quality of the recording, but I recorded it outside in our summer shelter gazebo, and there was some wind noise. Even with that, though, I hope you find this very informative and educational... and that it stirs you to do something positive about this rampant attack on your health, your family's health, and the health of the planet.
CAFOs pose a serious threat to human health
CAFOS use massive amounts of water
Rachel Carson Council statement on CAFOs
Poultry Pollution
Delmarva CAFOs sickening local residents
The hidden cost of cheap chicken
The brutal cost of cheap chicken
The Union of Concerned Scientists: The hidden cost of CAFOs
This is the actual guided meditation, introduced in the previous episode.
I hope you find it useful.
This guided meditation, with accompanying sounds of crystal singing bowl and 7-metal Tibetan singing bowl, was created to help you balance and energize your Base Chakra (also called the Root Chakra).
Because I don't want you to have to listen to my little intro of the meditation every time you may want to use the guided meditation, I will post the meditation as a separate episode after this one.
Also, in case you wish to download directly, here is a link to allow you to download the meditation from the cloud.
Download the meditation
The singing bowl are in frequencies designed to help strengthen, balance, and energize your Base Chakra, while you listen to the guided meditation. I am playing the bowls.
The image in the episode listing is by SonicDragon, and is found on Pixabay.
So often, people are afraid of the dark, or cannot see the positive side of darkness. In this episode, I want to talk about how darkness benefits us... and not just humans, but everything that is alive on Earth.
Many people have heard of generational curses, such as the sins or evil of the grandparents being held against the grandchild. But such generational curses can have what many would consider innocent physical causes, totally separate from any spiritual actions on the part of ancestors.
In this episode, I talk about how failing to forgive others is more harmful to your own mental, emotional, and even your PHYSICAL health., than it is to anyone else. I talk about the scientific/medical indications of self-damage, and a few ways to help you forgive others.
There's no denying the power of some of today's marvelous pharmaceutical wonders. But don't forget that, for centuries, people successfully used a variety of herbs to treat various illnesses and disorders. There isn't enough time in one of these episodes to cover ALL the medicinal herbs you could use, but here is a sampling of some that are commonly available, and that could be of use to you.
And by the way, my recommended source for purchased herbs (the one we use for herbs we cannot grow ourselves) is Mountain Rose Herbs. https://www.mountainroseherbs.com
Music in body of episode: "Metamorphosis" by Quincas Moriera
We've all heard or read thousands of warnings about tobacco use. But just because it's "Old News" doesn't mean we should ignore it. There is more to it than the risk of lung cancer, trust me. Take a listen, and learn!
Main background music: "Evening Nights" CC-BY, Mehul Sharma
Many, many people have pets, and love them dearly... but most people simply aren't aware of the great benefits to physical, mental, and emotional health that can be gained from having a pet companion. Take a listen to learn more!
So many times we hear the term "psychosomatic illness" used in a disparaging way, as though the sufferer is faking it or only imagining it. But the fact is, and research backs this up, that a person's mental and emotional state has a tremendous impact on their physical health. Sometimes that is a negative impact, and that's what has been emphasized so often. But actually, we can can take steps to establish positive thoughts and emotions that will literally improve our physical health and reduce our susceptibility to illness or disease. Take a listen and see how you can use this information to help yourself!
With spring fully upon most of us in the Northern Hemisphere, we long to get out in Nature. And thankfully, being out in Nature is one of the most beneficial things we can do for our physical, mental, and emotional health.
Nature therapy... eco-therapy... forest bathing... earthing... whatever you wish to call it, that's what this episode is all about. And here are some links that may be helpful to you, if you would like to read more about this fantastic way of making yourself healthier, simply by being outdoors.
Here is the link to the research work, found on the website of the National Institute of Health:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3265077/?msclkid=1a76f12cafce11ec8c08ddf4150f54c0
And here are some links about how medical professionals are making use of nature therapy of various kinds, to help their patients!
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/canada-doctors-can-prescribe-time-in-nature-with-free-admission-to-national-parks/?msclkid=9517bc1fafc611ec9a57f747ef70db48
https://www.globalwellnesssummit.com/2019-global-wellness-trends/prescribing-nature/?msclkid=9517ede8afc611ecaed075faa89b2d4f
As the title says, sometimes life changes our plans. I had one of those plan-changing occurrences this past weekend, and this brief episode talks about it, and how it is impacting me.
Main episode music is CCL 2006, by Curt Sifert, titled "A Young Church".
This particular episode was not planned in my schedule, but it is something that has been impressed on me for the last few days. The situation in Ukraine, with Russian aggression, is devastating and discouraging. But we can see that the leadership of Russia does NOT have the full support of his own people, and certainly not that of the rest of the world. It would be sadly foolish to blame all Russian people for what is happening there.
So, I want to present this prayerful meditation for peace and compassion in the region... for both Ukraine and Russia. It is not such a long meditation, but peaceful music continues to play after my voice ends, so you may wish to continue sending thoughts and prayers for Peace to Ukraine and Russia even after I stop speaking.
NOTE: some people are not believers in sending "thoughts and prayers". In this case, as individuals, there is little else we can do. Also, research has shown that positive intention, as expressed by thoughts and prayers, can have an impact on the real world. (Check out Dr. Gary Schwartz's book, "The Energy Healing Experiments", and Lynne McTaggart's Healing Intention experiment at https://lynnemctaggart.com/results-of-the-first-healing-intention-experiment/ .) And honestly, even if the effect each of us individually can make is small, isn't peace worth it?
It is a bit like the well-known story of the little boy and the starfish on the beach:
One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed boy picking up and gently throwing things into the ocean.
Approaching the boy he asked, “Young man, what are you doing?”
“Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die,” the boy replied.
The man laughed to himself and said, “Do you realize there are miles of miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make any difference.”
After listening politely, the boy bent down to pick up another starfish and threw it into the surf. Then, he smiled at the man and said, “I made a difference to that one.”
This guided meditation is the follow-up to the Season 2, Episode 2 episode, on Cultivating Loving Kindness. Download it... listen to it... share it with your friends!
Loving Kindness is all about treating others, and ourselves, with compassion, kindness, and acceptance. It's not "tolerance" because that implies you simply are putting up with someone else, while (mentally or otherwise) rolling your eyes or gritting your teeth.
It's not about sappy, moon-eyed, fake affection, either. Rather, it's a somewhat radical idea: understanding that everyone, yourself included, is doing the best they can, and everyone has both sorrows and joys to deal with... so why not do our best to accept that no matter who they are, or who we are, we will make mistakes in our choices?
Even though that may sound like a pie-in-the-sky sort of thing, there are definite, scientifically-proven benefits to the individual who practices loving kindness. Quite a few, in fact, and I talk about some of them in this episode.
Also, as a sort of bonus, there is a guided meditation that goes along with this episode, and I encourage you to download it after you listen to the podcast. This guided meditation is designed to help you achieve an attitude of loving kindness.
Oh, and by the way, some of the music in this episode is Creative Commons sourced music. Here is the attribution for that particular piece of music:
Blooming Melody by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
Creative Commons CC BY 4.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Since the end of 2021 has just come and gone, it wouldn't be at all unusual if we all breathed a collective sigh of relief... or maybe hold our breath in anticipation of what MIGHT be coming down the pike.
But the truth is, holding onto the negativity and bad energy that has been so overwhelming for the last year or so is not helpful nor is it healthy.
In this podcast, I talk about a variety of rituals and ceremonies, both solo and group, that can be used to help you rid yourself of those unhealthy, nasty negative ideas and energies.
And if you have tried any of these rituals, or have one of your own that works for you, let me know!
Also, in the podcast I tell you that I am putting a couple of links in the description. Well, here they are.
Link to a YouTube video on How to Fold a Simple Paper boat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THkUkhBt8Rc
Link to a source for dissolving paper: https://amzn.to/3EtK7Jr
It has been FAR too long since my last episode, but with the holiday seasons upon us, life has become particularly busy.
However, past that, in this episode I talk about sound healing, or more broadly, how vibrational therapy is used to help us... whether it is conventional medicine such as sonograms for pregnant women or lithotripsy for kidney stones, or more esoteric vibrational therapy such as using singing bowls or drumming.
Also, after I posted this episode, I found a great link for chanting the word "OM". Here it is:
https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/can-chanting-om-reduce-stress-and-anxiety
It's only an introduction to the topic, but I hope you find it interesting. Let me know, with a message, by sending an email to me at anthony@spectrum-holistic.com
Thanks!
With concerns about pollution in our water, air, and food--microplastics, PFAs, lead, and so on, ad nauseum--we often forget about , or simply don't KNOW about, the toxins that can contaminate our thoughts and emotions. These toxins are insidious and often difficult to recognize unless they are pointed out to us. In this episode, I talk about the immaterial, but still dangerous, toxins that can be in our thoughts and emotions, and make some recommendations for dealing with them.
I hope you find the episode interesting, and get some benefit from it. Please feel free to share with your friends! And if you would like to give me some feedback, please do that, too!
Thanks so much.
This episode is all about personal hydration: what it is, why it is important, how to recognize dehydration, and how to maintain GOOD hydration.
In the episode, I said I would post a link to a website with four recipes for homemade, DIY electrolyte replacement drinks, but as fate would have it, it seems I can no longer locate that website. SO… instead, I will post multiple website URLs here, with a variety of recipes for electrolyte replacement drinks.
As always, I'd love to hear from you with your comments!
https://illinoiscancercare.com/news/electrolytedrinkrecipe/
https://www.babysavers.com/homemade-electrolyte-drink/
https://drinklmnt.com/blogs/health/the-best-homemade-electrolyte-drink-for-dehydration
https://www.wholesomeyum.com/electrolyte-drink-recipe/
https://wellnessmama.com/2575/natural-sports-drink/
And, if you are really curious about how important good hydration is for you, here are links to some articles written by doctors and scientists!
https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/nutritional/dehydration
https://www.medicalwesthospital.org/the-dangers-of-dehydration.php
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/dehydration-and-heat-stroke
https://integrisok.com/resources/on-your-health/2019/september/the-dangers-of-dehydration-for-seniors
You know, even though I am a Holistic Health Practitioner, and use a variety of non-allopathic therapeutic methods to help my clients heal, I have been flabbergasted by the number of (quite frankly) crazy ideas that people have come up with to prevent or "cure" COVID. This is especially mind-boggling now that the FDA has fully approved at least three real COVID vaccines... and they are FREE.
In this episode I talk about things that I consider to be "crazy COVID cures", and explain why they don't work. Then I give some practical and common sense advice on how you can have a much better chance of avoiding COVID infection, and staying healthy in general.
Take a listen, and tell me what you think! I honestly do want to know, and I always appreciate honest feedback.
This is the download I talked about in Episode 1-9, for helping someone to heal their damaged back. Feel free to download and share it with anyone you feel may benefit from it.
Visualization, also called guided imagery, is a powerful tool to help us be better at what we do. But even more importantly--at least from my perspective--is how visualization can help a person heal more quickly and be healthier in general.
Scientists have shown that, when we think of an event happening, whether it is an event that happened in the past that we are replaying, or something in the future that has not happened but that we anticipate, the chemicals and signals in our body act the same as if that event actually is happening AT THAT MOMENT.
So, your focused thoughts can create the same reactions in your body as the real thing. Listen to this podcast to hear more information about this, and how to use visualization to help you perform better, be happier, heal faster, and be healthier.
Oh... and there is a Bonus download for this episode. It is a guided visualization crafted to help a person whose back is injured, to heal faster and better. You'll hear more about it in this podcast, so feel free to download the Bonus visualization and share it with anyone you feel may benefit from it!
Also, please feel free to leave feedback for me, whether negative or positive! I want to know what you think.
Holistic health is NOT just about burning some sage, meditating, using essential oils, and all that. Being healthy ALSO involves simple, practical stuff like good nutrition and proper physical exercise. No matter how many hours you meditate, how many singing bowls you have around you, if you don't take care of your body, you will not have good health.
Chris Shingles is the owner of ChrisFit, a physical training and nutrition business located in Spalding, Lincolnshire, UK. He specializes in HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, and is a certified trainer for The Hiit Company. He has clients in the UK, but also in Canada, Australia, and South Africa, through his online outreach.
If you want to visit his website, the URL is http://www.chrisfitness.co.uk . He also has a LOT of videos on YouTube, and they are free to watch and make use of.
So take some time out of your day right now, and listen to what Chris has to say. I found the interview to really enjoyable and informative, and I'm sure you will, too.
This episode is a bit different, in that I don't talk about any specific holistic or alternative therapies. But after my own experiences of the last few months, I really feel it is important to address the idea of self-care for caregivers, how important it is, and how to improve it.
Please feel free to leave me a message, especially if you are a caregiver.
In the podcast, I mention some links for resources, so here they are:
www.caregiving.org
www.caregiver.org
www.caregiveraction.org
www.acl.gov/programs/support-caregivers
https://projectlifesaver.org
In the eons that humans have existed on the planet, medical treatment has taken many forms. Depending on where you grew up, what your culture was, and how you viewed medical treatment, your own traditional medical treatment may have taken different forms. For most Westerners, traditional medicine is modern, allopathic medicine conducted by university-trained physicians. But more and more, practitioners of modern medicine are discovering the value and efficacy of older medical therapies that may be traditional to indigenous populations, or may have been traditional to ancient civilizations.
Take a listen to hear my take on how modern medicine has already adopted many older medical treatments, and is continuing to adopt even more.
In this podcast, I talk a little about the basics of meditation--what it is, what it is not, some of its benefits, and how to get started with meditating.
I also provide a short guided meditation to help get you get motivated and moving at the start of your day.
Time after time, I have heard people say that Reiki, Qi Gong, or other forms of complementary energy therapy must not work, because the people who perform them sometimes get sick. "Why do they get sick, if they are full of this magickal energy?" they ask.
I'd like to talk about this fallacy, about why it doesn't make sense, but also about how--even though these methods don't make anyone bulletproof--they do help people to stay healthy, and to heal faster and more easily.
Many times, people who are not knowledgeable about various energy therapies or complementary health practices, become worried that these practices are somehow evil... sometimes because a misinformed (or totally uninformed) minister has told them this is so.
In this episode, I'm addressing some of these questions that have come to me, and maybe my answers will reassure you, or perhaps help you to answer similar questions from others.
At any rate, please feel free to share the episode with others, and leave a message if you want to comment!
Sometimes, people get confused about the difference between "Curing" and "Healing", and about where those processes have their roots. In this episode, I give you my ideas about that difference. You may agree... you may not... but I hope the episode makes you think, either way.
This is the initial episode, and in it, I talk a little about my background, how I became interested in holistic health and energy healing, and my education in those topics.
I also talk about exactly what a Holistic Health practice is, and how it may differ from conventional, allopathic medicine.