Welcome to the middle of winter - prime time
for colds and flues. Western science tells us that the common cold
comes from the rhinovirus, invisible droplets that cavort around from
person to person, causing sniffling, sneezing and a stuffed up nose.
What does this mean for us humans? Colds happen. What can we do about
it? That's the question!
Cures for the common cold vary from supplements
of zinc, echinacea and vitamin C to steamy baths, hot chicken soup or
cayenne, lemon and honey tea. What works best for you? A small white
homeopathic pill does the trick for me. The directions suggest placing
one pill under the tongue at the first sign of symptoms. Using this
homeopathic remedy over the last few years, I've discovered that the
closer I take the pill to the onset of symptoms, the much quicker the
results. Through the process, I've learned to listen to my body at
subtle levels. I can now feel the first signs of a cold's presence
coming through - a tad of stuffiness, a dull push behind my eyes.
Under my tongue goes the little homeopathic and, most often, no
further cold symptoms ensue.
Considering the arrival of a common cold can be
an excellent exercise in honing awareness. Think about the last time
you had a cold - can you recall the exact moment when you knew?
Usually it's after the fact. We say, "I have a cold" or
"I have the flu," and only then begin the process of dealing
with it. Sometimes we know we're "coming down" with a cold,
but it's often difficult to pinpoint the exact moment in which we
first sense the cold becoming part of us.
One theory of healing notes that if we can be
aware of the moment in which we first encounter blockage, resistance,
distancing or any other 'motion of emotion' in our body, we will also
find an opening - a doorway to healing. This type of awareness can
then help us to shift illness in the body. If we are willing to search
for the cause of disease rather than simply treating our symptom, we
may also discover our role in initially creating or accepting our dis-ease.
Many forms of alternative and energetic medicine can help us to become
more aware of ourselves and our interconnection with that dis-ease. By
becoming more consciously involved in the process, we also become more
aware of our wholeness and the ways in which we are always healing.
As we move into the first months of 2012 - this
highly-anticipated, controversial year of transformation, our entire
planet is deep in a process of change. The door is open; the moment is
here. Will we move forward with ease? What an exciting time to be
alive.
Dawn Baumann Brunke is the
editor of Alaska Wellness and the author of Animal Voices,
Shapeshifting with Our Animal Companions, Animal Voices, Animal Guides
and the soon-to-be released Animal Teachings. See www.animalvoices.net
for more.
