Louise Hayes in her book,

You Can Heal Your Life

speaks of a philosophy that

saved her own life from can-

cer. She believes that we cre-

ate every disease or illness in

our bodies through destruc-

tive thought patterns. For

example, if someone buries

their anger within, that person

is likely to have heart prob-

lems. Yet these are only

thoughts, and any thought can

be changed. By learning to

love ourselves, we can heal

ourselves. It takes a lot of

work, and it is a process, but

we can heal ourselves.

We can eat right, we can ex-

ercise but what do you do for

your spirit? And is it a daily

practice? I’m headed out for a

month long vacation to hike

around in nature, to see the

wonders of Mother Earth. I

can’t wait to take off my

shoes and walk barefoot on

the earth, to gather plants if

they are so willing, and to

gaze up into the Milky Way

at night. This is my way of

refueling my spiritual gas

tank.

“Physical troubles have all

kinds of reasons, good and bad

reasons, we might call them,

but they all start on the spiritu-

al level. An infection might be

called a spiritual impurity.

What happens to the body is not

the main thing, so healing re-

quires knowing more than the

body.”

- Rolling Thunder

Many different cultures through

many ancient civilizations have

relied on prayers and ritual in

their healings. The power of

love, compassion, faith and a

positive attitude will make the

spirit soar and the soul a happi-

er place. We all know what

awakens our spirit within each

one of us. It might be prayer/

meditation, walking in nature,

serving or helping others. It is

that happy place that makes us

calm, serene and at peace with

ourselves and the world around

us.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

(TCM) believes that the cause

of disease is either of an exter-

nal or internal source. External

causes of disease would in-

clude environmental condi-

tions, cold, heat, dryness,

dampness and wind. Internal

factors would include the

emotions such as joy, anger,

grief, depression, worry and

fear. Disease springs from

intense, destructive emotions,

therefore a positive mental

attitude is essential for good

health. It is these destructive

emotions that can turn into

cancers, yet we have a choice

to release these destructive

emotions through various

means, such as meditation,

yoga, exercise, prayers, coun-

seling and ritual.

The Tibetan monks speak of

love and compassion as the

path to inner peace. These

powers of loving affection

and awareness of others may

even be transmitted into oth-

ers, so that a spiritual healing

may take place. However,

one must always be aware,

that all healing begins with

the individual, it is a matter

of choice.

Healing the Spirit

HEALING THE SPIRIT 1

SUPERB HERB ~ ARNICA 2

FOOD AS MEDICINE ~ CORN 3

DECOMPOSITION OF TRASH 3

MUSCLE OF THE MONTH ~ 4

AURORA THEATER ~ ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW SEPT 14-OCT 31 THE ADAMS FAMILY ~ SEPT 21-OCT 31 HARBOR PLAYHOUSE ARTS ALIVE ~ SEPT 1-2 ART CENTER OF CORPUS CHRISTI CANDIDATES FORUM ~ OCT 3 11:30-1 PM AMERICAN BANK CENTER ACCESS BARS CLASS ~ SEPT 22 10-6 PM 2410 CAPITAN ON ISLAND FUNG LOY KOK TAOIST TAI CHI SEPT 1 ~ 1 PM TAOSIT.ORG FARMER’S MARKET ~ EVERY WEDNESDAY AT THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS DOWNTOWN CORPUS CHRISTI 5-8 PM EVERY SATURDAY AT EVERHART & HOLLY CORPUS CHRISTI 9-12

September 2018

~ T H E R A P E U T I C M A S S A G E & H E R B A L H E A L T H ~

Superb Herb ~ Arnica (Arnica montana)

Inside This Issue:

Upcoming Events:

This newsletter is pub-

lished by Chiron Holistic,

LLC. The information in

this newsletter is meant

for educational purposes.

Our passion is bringing

therapeutic massage, herb-

al health and well being to

you. Call or text (361) 877

-6900 for an appointment

today!

Chiron closed September …. See ya in October!!

Chiron will be closed for the month of September as Sparky will be traveling throughout

the west and northwest collecting plants, hugging trees, staring at the stars from her ham-

mock and contemplating life. See ya in October!!

Page 2

Superb Herb ~ Arnica (Arnica montana)

If you would like to submit an article, letter or calendar

event please submit in a Word document by emailing to :

chironholistic@yahoo.com If you have any questions

please call or text (361) 877-6900.

It was a joy to

find the heart-

shaped leaves

and the bright

yellow flowers

of arnica upon

the mountain-

sides in Colora-

do. There was

never quite

enough to gath-

er, to an ethical wildcrafter

we only gather when there

are more than 25 plants,

otherwise we allow them to

reseed, spread and grow.

Some might

call this flower

just another

DYC (Damn

Yellow Compo-

site), but defi-

nitely not so,

for its healing

abilities to heal

muscular aches,

pains and

strains make it

unique. Arnica is from the

Composite or Sunflower

Family. Other common

names for this plant are

Leopard’s Bane, Wolf Bane

or Mountain Tobacco. It is

indigenous to the mountains

of Europe and Siberia, and

naturalized in the US and

western mountains.

In 1820, arnica was official-

ly listed in the US Pharma-

of bruises, rheumatic in-

flammation, painful, swollen

areas, sprains, muscle sore-

ness and joint inflammation.

Arnica should only be used

externally, as the fresh plant

it is toxic to the heart and

circulatory system and may

increase blood pressure. Do

not use on unbroken skin or

wounds. The homeopathic

tablets are safe to use inter-

nally. Not only is Arnica

montana homeopathic reme-

dy good for strains, sprains

and over exertion,

it can also treat

shock. My dear

friend was in an

auto accident and it

was arnica that

brought her out of

shock, and back

into her body. It

helped relieve the

deep bruising and

soreness of being

thrown around in

the vehicle. Arnica is a great

herbal remedy for anyone’s

first aid kit.

Reprinted from an August

12, 1994 article in the

Chronicle & Pilot Newspa-

per.

copia and in the US Dispen-

satory. The German philoso-

pher Goethe claimed arnica

saved his life when he was

struck with an uncontrollable

fever. There are over 100

drug preparations in Germa-

ny that contain arnica. In

1981 in the process of doing

research on arnica, two com-

pounds were found: helenalin

and dihydrohelenalin, which

produce anti-inflammatory

and analgesic effects.

Arnica leaves are bright

green, heart-shaped with

toothed edges and smell

strongly. The leaves appear

opposite each other on a

round, hairy stem, ending in a

bright, yellow flower. This

plant propogates from divi-

sion, cuttings and seeds.

Arnica’s medicinal uses

are as an anti-

inflammatory and vulner-

ary. It promotes healing

“SHOOT

FOR THE

MOON,

EVEN IF

YOU MISS

YOU’LL LAND

AMONGST

THE STARS.”

- JOHN O’LEARY

Page 3

“YOU’LL NEVER

DISCOVER NEW

OCEANS,

UNLESS YOU

HAVE THE

COURAGE TO

LOSE SIGHT

OF THE

SHORE.”

— DAMON KEITH

Food as Medicine ~ Corn Corn or maiz was domesti-

cated some 10,000 years ago

and originated in southern

Mexico. The Native Ameri-

cans, Mayans and other in-

digenous tribes revered the

mighty maiz because it was

their main food source. Corn

is in the Poaceae Family or

the grass family. It is the

female plant that produces

the wonderful kernels or

seeds that give a wonderful

food source. There are many

different species produced

for the different types of ker-

nels such as dent corn, flint

corn, flour corn, sweet corn

and popcorn.

Corn is high in Vitamin A, B,

and E, betacarotenes, fiber,

antioxidants and many miner-

als such as phosphorus, mag-

nesium, manganese, zinc,

iron, copper and selenium.

The high fiber content bene-

fits those with constipation

and hemorrhoids, as well as

may prevent colon cancer. It

may benefit heart disease,

anemia, lower blood pressure

and LDL cholesterol and

soothe skin rashes.

The corn silk is used as a tea

to help with kidney stones

and as a mild diuretic.

There are many different

species to consider being that

there are blue, red, yellow

and purple varieties of corn.

The deeper the color the

higher the content of antho-

cyans, which are powerful

antioxidants.

Corn is an important food

crop not only in ancient

civilzations, but also cur-

rently. It an certainly fatten

up the livestock in a short

amount of time. However,

many crops have been ge-

netically modified and it

becomes harder to find a

species that has not been

genetically modified. Make

good choices people.

Decomposition of Trash/ Please Recycle

Corpus Christi used to be known as the Sparkling City by the Sea, but honestly the litter

and trash does not make it “sparkling”. One person can create 4 pounds of trash a day.

Together, Americans generate some 220 million tons of trash each year in more than

3,500 landfills creating the second largest source of methane gas emissions. Here is just

an idea of how long some of that common trash takes to decompose.

Glass Bottle: 1 Million Years

Monofilament Fishing Line: 600 Years

Plastic Bottle: 450 Years

Disposable Diapers: 450 Years

Aluminum Can: 80-200 Years

Leather: 50 Years

Nylon Fabric: 30-50 Years

Plastic Bag: 10-20 Years

Cigarette Filter: 1-5 Years

Plywood: 1-3 Years

Please take your time to pick up trash everyday, even just a few pieces. Recycle your

trash when possible. Compost your food or donate to a friend with a garden or chickens.

The Agricultural Devolution is starting a composting pick up service for $25/month.

Check it out on Facebook!

Mother Earth will appreciate it and we ALL benefit!!

An adductor muscle is any

muscle that draws a part of the

body towards the middle of the

body. In this case we are talk-

ing about the hip adductors or

the muscles of the medial

thigh, which brings the thighs

together. They adduct, flex,

tilt, and rotate the thighs and

hips. This group is made up of

five muscles, the adductor

brevis, adductor longus, ad-

ductor magnus, pectineus, and

gracilis.

This group makes up most of

the thigh muscles and have

their own nerve supply. All

medial thigh muscles are in-

nervated by the obturator

nerve, which originates in the

lumbar plexus. The blood sup-

ply is furnished by the obtura-

tor artery.

The adductor magnus is the

longest of these muscles and

lies posterior to the other mus-

Muscle of the Month ~ Adductors

505 South Water Street

Suite 501 B

Corpus Christi, TX 78401

Phone: 361-877-6900

E-mail:

chironholistic@yahoo.com

Website:

www.chironholistic.com

Check us out on Facebook Sparky’s Spa

Chiron Holistic, LLC is an herbal apothecary and therapeutic massage studio. Susan ‘Sparky’

Sparks began studying medicinal plants some 30+ years ago. She incorporated massage into

her practice in 2001 after studying with Dr. Rosita Arvigo, who developed special massage

techniques from Don Elijio Panti, a famous shaman from Belize. She makes herbal products

with certified organic herbs or they are ethically wildcrafted with love and prayers. Sparky

combines 17 years of massage experience in Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports, Shiatsu, Jin Shin

Do, Tsubo, Foot Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Myofascial Release, Myoskeletal, Maya Ab-

dominal, Maternity, Burn/Scar, Onocology and Medical Massage. She is a member American

Bodywork & Massage Professionals, American Botanical Council, American Herbalist Guild,

South Texas Botanical Gardens and serves on the Advisory Board for the Texas Department

of Licensing and Regulation for Massage Therapists. She is a Qi Gong Level I Instructor and

Master Gardener. Chiron Holistic is dedicated to providing a pathway towards holistic

health. We are here to assist you on your journey towards wellness.

C H I R O N H O L I S T I C ~ S P A R K Y ’ S S P A

cles. Adductor longus is a

large, flat muscle and forms

the medial border of the femo-

ral triangle. The adductor

brevis is the shortest muscle

and lies underneath the adduc-

tor longus. They attach at the

pubic bone and ischium to the

linea aspera, pectineal line,

adductor tubercle of the femur

and the pes anserine tendon at

the proximal tibia.

The adductor’s job is to adduct

the femur at the hip joint and

they can do that because of the

different attachments and

origin points along the pelvis.

Common problems with the

adductors are groin strains,

especially if one participates in

sports and uses a side-to-side

movement such as tennis,

football, soccer and other

sports. As a massage therapist,

we see many groin injuries

and it is important to work the

adductors.

Find out your dosha by circling the line that best pertains to your constitution. This means how you were born and your body type/shape before mid-life. Add

them up at the end. The one with the most is your predominant dosha. You may be a combo of two or three.

Vata Pitta Kapha

Frame Thin, Poorly developed Moderately Developed Large, Stout, Thick

Tall, short Muscles visible Muscles not Visible

Body Weight Low Moderate Heavy

Disease Tendency Pain, Nerves Inflammation, Infection Mucus, Congestion

Heat, Fever Water

Skin Dry, Rough, Cool, Moist, Pink, Moles, Thick, Oily, Cool

Cracked, Veins Freckles, Acne, Soft

Oily, Warm

Complexion Brown, Black Fair, Red, Yellow, Pale, White

Dull Ruddy, Flushed

Hair Brown, Black, Dry Soft, Oily, Fine, Yellow Thick, Oily, Wavy

Wavy, Scanty, Coarse Red, Early Gray, Bald Dark or Light

Joints Thin, Dry, Cracking Medium, Soft, Loose Thick, Move smoothly

Unstable

Teeth Protruded, Cracked, Spaces Size Moderate, Soft, Pink Large, White, Full

Thin and Receding Gums Bleeding Gums

Eyes Active, Dry, Brown, Black Medium, Penetrating, Piercing Big, Wide, Prominent

Small, Thin, Unsteady Green, Gray, Yellow, Red Blue, Thick, Oily, White

Scerla

Elimination Constipation, Hard, Dry Loose, Soft, Oily Oily, Thick, Slow, Heavy

Activity Active, Talkative, Nervous Moderate, Mid-Length Lethargic, Stately

Short Bursts Purposeful, Goal Setting

Appetite Variable, Erratic, Low Excessive, Strong Slow, Steady

Thirst Variable Excessive Slight

Sleep Insomnia, Light Short and Sound Heavy, Deep, Long,

Excessive, Difficulty Waking

Mind Restless, Curious Aggressive, Perceptive Calm, Slow, Stead Short Attention

Personality Strength Creativity Leadership Loyalty, Calm, Content

Personality Weakness Anxiety, Fear Jealously, Aggression Greed, Attachment

Insecurity Irritability Self-Centered

Memory Short-term Good, Sharp, Clear Slow, Good Retention

Long-Term Poor

Dreams Active, Flying, Fear, Angry, Passion, Color Water, Romance

Involved, Nightmares Fire, Conflict Few Dreams

Speech Chaotic, Continuous Cutting, Incisive Slow, Melodious,

Quick, Talkative Argumentative, Convincing Definite Reticent

TOTALS ________________ _________________ _________________