Self Healing Australia - Seasonal Newsletter Seasonal Newsletter
Self Healing Australia
Winter Newsletter
June 2008 - August 2008

Winter Foods

Winter is the season when we can feel the most vulnerable, insecure, and lacking in motivation.

Foods that can make us feel supported, warm, and secure are buckwheat, oats, soba noodles, miso soup, adzuki beans, roots, greens, and salty condiments.

By adding the above foods to your diet, you’ll feel more self-confident and less stressed, retain your sense of humour, and have a greater sense of balance and stability.

Cooking style for Winter

With the seasonal change from autumn to winter, we tend towards longer cooking methods, that include stronger soups, sauteed vegetables, casseroles, and baked dishes.

A little more oil, seasoning, condiments like gomasio, and sea salt (only used in cooking) are appropriate as they warm the body.

Vegetables are cut into larger chunks for longer cooking, while buckwheat, along with fried rice and soba noodles are the grains most appropriate at this time.

If you are living in the northern hemisphere, Summer foods and cooking styles are available free online in the Macrobiotic Handbook for All Seasons.


Buckwheat & Cabbage Roll Gratin

  • 1/2 head green cabbage
  • 1 cup raw buckwheat
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 large carrot
  • 1 cup pumpkin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic and ginger each
  • 1 bay leaf
  • strip of kombu
  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves
  • 1 teaspoon mixed herbs, thyme, & oregano each
  • 1 tablespoon tamari
  • 1 tablespoon arrowroot
  • 1 tablespoon umeboshi vinegar (optional)

White sauce

  • 3/4 cup brown rice flour
  • 11/2-2 cups soya milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Roast buckwheat add 3 cups of boiling water, salt and a strip of kombu. Let cook for 15-30 minutes until buckwheat is fluffy.

Blanche cabbage for 10 minutes. Finely cut rest of vegetables, add herbs, spices, tamari and vinegar. Stir fry until soft (adding water if necessary).

Add cooked buckwheat and arrowroot. Mix well then roll mixture into cabbage leaves, secure with a tooth pick,and place in oven dish.

Prepare white sauce by roasting slightly rice flour, add soya milk and sea salt, then stir constantly until thick. Pour over cabbage rolls.

Bake for 45 minutes at 200 C (375 F).

Makes 10 cabbage rolls.

Additional recipes can found in our free online
Macrobiotic Handbook for All Seasons


Bladder meridian meditation

Close your eyes and start to breathe deeply. Make the exhalation longer than the inhalation. Imagine your arms spread palms open to receive whatever the Universe has to offer you.

As you breathe in, imagine the energy entering your body through the soles of your feet. Feel as though there is a doorway in the middle of sole. Breathe in the energy through this doorway allowing it fill you up, and then when you breathe out feel the energy flow effortlessly and without strain back into the world.

Continue breathing in and out feeling the energy becoming stronger. Imagine scanning an your body. Sense the energy moving over your head, touching your ears, eyes, cheeks, mouth, and chin. Feel your face glowing. Smile as the energy moves down the rest of your body - your neck shoulders, chest, back arms. Continue breathing deeply as you scan your hips, thighs, knees, calves, ankles and feet.

Now see the shape of your body being outlined in your mind as though it were drawn on a piece of paper. Trace the outline in your mind and see yourself as complete and whole, and perfect.

Remember this feeling and remember that you too have a place in the grand scheme of the Universe.

On The Fence
© Issi Aaron

To receive this Newsletter:
If you would like to receive the next seasonal newsletter via email, or wish any of your friends to receive it, then please send an email to:

issi@self-healing.com.au
with the subject: Newsletter

To discontinue future newsletters:
If you have received this newsletter by mistake or do not wish to receive future newsletters, please send an email to:

issi@self-healing.com.au
with the subject: Please discontinue newsletter

Disclaimer:
Self Healing Australia assumes no responsibility or liability for any injury, loss or damage incurred as a result of any use or reliance upon the information and material contained within or downloaded from this website
.
While considerable care has been taken in preparing the information and materials displayed in this website, Self Healing Australia is unable to provide any warranty concerning the accuracy or completeness of any information contained herein.

Hypertext links to third party websites are provided for the convenience of users only. Self Healing Australia is unable to provide any warranty concerning the accuracy or completeness of any information held within these third party websites..

Furthermore, by linking to other websites, Self Healing Australia in no way endorses the views or information held within such websites and is unable to grant permission to use material found on such sites.
Shiatsu point for relief from
lower back pain & sciatica

In the ancient 5-Element theory, Winter relates to the Water element, which comprises the Bladder and Kidney meridians.

Bladder energy or chi provides the structure and stability that enables us to feel secure and balanced. We are thus able to deal with any obstacles that confront us without feeling stuck.

BL 48 is located 1 to 2 finger-widths outside the sacrum and midway between the top of the hipbone and the base of the buttock.

BL 48 is very good point for symptomatic relief from lower back pain, sciatica, pelvic tension, hip pain as well as leg pain.

Treatment

Using both thumbs, apply pressure until you feel the soreness in the point.

Taking deep breaths and maintaining the pressure breathe slowly in and out of the point until you feel the tension and pain disappear.

To find out more about Shiatsu and Shiatsu points please click here.

Yoga for Winter
Cobra Pose


This pose relieves fatigue, pain and stiffness in the heels, strengthens the ankles and shapes the legs.

The abdominal muscles are drawn towards the spine and strengthened, and the heart rate slows down.

  • Kneel on your hands and knees.
  • Exhale and raise the trunk from the floor. Straighten the arms, move the head inwards towards the feet, keep the elbows straight and extend the back.
  • Keep the legs stiff and do not bend the knees, but try to press the heels down.
  • Remain in the pose for about 1 minute.
    Bach Flowers - Pine

    Pine can be taken when we are feeling regretful, guilty or unforgiving of ourselves.

    Pine is especially useful when there is a sense of dissatisfaction underlying our actions and thoughts. This is often accompanied by a tendency to judge ourselves more harshly than anyone else.

    There can be a sense that we do not deserve joy in our lives and are really unworthy at heart. Our inner critic is hard at work at such times and it is likely that we inflict punishment on ourselves. Self-sabotage, toxic relationships, and alcohol or drug abuse may be symptomatic indicators of these underlying beliefs.

    General dosage is 4 - 5drops under the tongue at least 3 times a day, or whenever feeling discouraged, regretful, guilty or dissatisfied

    Book of the Season:



    Modalities and You
    Wu Tao
    Wu Tao -The Dancing Way is a therapy that uses dance, music and meditation to balance the Qi (life-force energy) in the body.

    It was developed in Perth by Michelle Locke and the main form of Wu Tao is a series of 5 dances representing the elements of chinese medicine - air, water, wood, fire and earth.

    Each dance works on balancing the meridians that belong to a particular element (eg kidney/bladder meridians belong to the water element).

    It also tones the body and brings you to a place where the mind is free of chatter and you can experience the stillness of your own Being.

    Wu Tao leaves you energised, de-stressed and peaceful in one hour and is something that looks after your spiritual well-being as well as your physical body.

    It is suitable for all ages and fitness levels. No previous dance experience needed.

    There's nothing like shiatsu


    to get you purring.

    Book in for a seasonal tune-up treatment today.

    contact Issi:

    issi@self-healing.com.au

    tel: (02) 9558 8111

    © Self Healing Australia 2008