Craniosacral therapy, a light-touch, hands-on therapy, is an increasingly popular alternative modality that may provide substantial benefits.

Craniosacral therapy detects and corrects imbalances in the membranes and fluids that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord and releases restrictions in the connective tissues throughout the body. Patients seek the therapy to treat ailments such as migraines, neck and back pain, orthopedic problems, stress and tension-related problems, autism and chronic fatigue.

Practitioners have reported that after craniosacral therapy treatments their clients frequently experienced substantial pain reduction and were often able to discontinue or reduce their reliance on pain medications. Physical and occupational therapists reported that the diminished pain allowed their clients to more fully participate in rehabilitation exercises.

A Mayo Clinic study found that the patients who received massages following surgery had an average pain score of less than one, while those who did not receive a massage had an average pain score of three.

Incorporating the sense of smell can help children learn, according to Margaret Hyde.

Hyde is the author of the children’s book series “Mo’s Nose” that incorporates scent into reading and learning.

“Researching and creating these scent-filled adventures, I discovered that the sense of smell is a powerful and overlooked part of how we learn, experience and remember,” wrote Hyde. “Smells create ‘Proustian Memories,’ which are long-term memories that elicit strong emotional responses.”

According to the article, research has shown that the more senses that are used while learning, the more long-lasting the effect on memory.

Hyde referenced a 2002 study in Russia that found that school children exposed to peppermint aroma improved grades on tests.
According to Hyde, “The sense of smell is our most powerful sense: 10,000 times more powerful than the other senses and directly connected to the limbic system, which is the place in the brain where memories and emotions are processed.“

Here are some simple steps to incorporate smell into children’s learning:

1. Buy and let your children smell 100-percent essential oils and see what scent they like and respond to, including peppermint, spearmint, cinnamon leaf, grapefruit and lavender.
   • Peppermint: helps improve memory and test scores.
   • Spearmint: similar to peppermint but milder
   • Cinnamon Leaf: Energizing, focusing and revitalizing, cinnamon leaf enhances active reasoning.
   • Grapefruit: Stimulating
   • Lavender: calming, relaxing and refreshing scent; good for relaxing after school or after homework
2. Buy a room diffuser to run while your child is studying and doing homework.
3. Pack a handkerchief or small cloth with a few drops of oil that you use in your diffuser for your child to take to school.

Water sustains all forms of life, including human life. Although water is all around us, it is one of the most mysterious substances on this planet. Scientists are still discovering amazing facts about water.

More than 70% of our body weight is water; that translates into about 10 gallons of water for a person of 120 lbs. It is very important to have a good understanding of water and to drink the right kind of water. Water is a strong solvent; therefore, it carries many invisible ingredients: minerals, oxygen, nutrients, waste products, pollutants, etc. Sea water is salty because, through eons, it dissolved minerals and salts from the mountains and carried them down stream to the ocean. Inside the human body, blood (90% of which is water) circulates throughout the body distributing nutrients and oxygen, and collecting wastes and carbon dioxides, delivering them to the disposal organs. If water was not a strong solvent, it could not perform these functions.

Water molecule is H₂O; that is two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom stuck together. The shape of the water molecule is like a Mickey Mouse face; the head is oxygen and the two ears are hydrogen. Since oxygen is electrically negative and hydrogen is positive, the water molecule is electrically polarized. For this reason, a water molecule cannot exist independently; it must combine with other water molecules to form a five- or six-sided structure called a water cluster. In lower temperatures, most of the structures are hexagonal; therefore, snow flakes are hexagonal.

In distilled water, at room temperature, one out of 10 million (1 in 10⁷) water molecules is ionized. When a water molecule is ionized, it is split into hydrogen ions H⁺ and hydroxyl ions OH^-. Neutral water means that the number of hydrogen ions equals the number of hydroxyl ions in a container. The number is 10^-7 times the entire number of water molecules in that container (that number we will call N). We abbreviate this by saying that the water has a pH value of 7²⁾.

Acid water has a larger number of hydrogen ions than that of hydroxyl ions. For example, the number of hydrogen ions in acid water, with a pH value of 4, is 10^-4 times N, and that of hydroxyl ion is 10^-10 times N. The law of nature is such that the exponents must add up to 14 (4+10). The number of hydrogen ions in alkaline water, with a pH value of 9, is 10^-9 times N, and that of hydroxyl ion is 10^-5 times N. Note that 10^-5 is larger than 10^-9 by 10,000 times and, again, 5+9 is 14. Because the exponents must add up to 14, pH value of 7 is considered neutral. Since the value of pOH is 14 minus the value of pH, we don’t measure nor mention its value; it will be known once the pH value is known. For that reason, there are only pH meters and no pOH measuring instruments³⁾.

Since alkaline water has more OH^-s than H⁺s, there are more oxygen atoms in it than in neutral water; that’s why alkaline water is sometimes called oxygen rich water. In the same manner, acid water is oxygen deficient water. An interesting trivial fact is that there are approximately 10²⁵ H₂O molecules in a 10 ounce glass of water. If that water has a pH value of 10, there are approximately 10²¹ hydroxyl ions (OH-) and approximately 10¹⁵ hydrogen ions (H+). The number of hydrogen ions is one millionth of that of hydroxyl ions, which is negligible.

It is this abundant amount of hydroxyl ions that neutralizes acid hydrogen ions in our body to reduce the accumulated acid wastes, thus reversing the aging process.

Hydration

The body must continuously be in a proper state of hydration. Because 2.5 liters of water is lost each day through normal bodily functions, this must be replaced. There are two major issues that emphasize the need to keep the body adequately hydrated with water of the best quality, content, and structure so it can maintain homeostasis. First, the water we put in our body must be able to prevent toxins and chemical substances from accumulating and creating destructive influences on cells. Water must bring all minerals and nutrients required for cell metabolism, and remove any substances that can damage the cell. It must also be able to protect cell walls from damage and invasion. Second, since water is involved in every function of the body, it must act as a conductor of electrochemical activity, such as neurotransmission, by moving water from one nerve cell to another smoothly and effectively.

Movement of water in the body between cells (extracellular fluid) is caused by osmosis. This is created by magnetic forces in the body, which keep the movement in balance. As water flows, changes in pressure create movement across the cell membranes. Any changes in pressure will allow proteins, minerals and other nutrients being carried by the blood to escape into spaces between vessels and deprive the cells of their vital needs to sustain life. When water in the blood is contaminated with chemicals, it enters the cells and changes their structure, which in turn could lead to changes in DNA. This is the start of the disease process, which is very similar to the aging process.

Structured Alkaline Water

Much research has been conducted on the effects of this unique water on the body’s response systems. Reports from studies suggest that structured or clustered water with a high pH can help the body resist disease and slow aging by:

• Increasing Intracellular Hydration
• Replacing Depletion of Essential Minerals
• Stabilizing and Protecting Cells
• Helping To Maintain Normal Blood Flow and pH
• Flushing Out and Preventing Wastes from Accumulating in Cells
• Preventing Free Radicals from Forming

Water structured with Alkalive™ pH Booster™ can retain its magnetic properties because of its high mineral content. Up to 74 minerals are contained in pH Booster™. Because of its natural magnetization these minerals are naturally ionized. Unlike artificially magnetized water, the magnetization in pH Booster™ remains permanently, even after it is added to water and stored for long periods of time.

The most unique feature of structured water is the formation and organization of its molecules Unlike regular water, structured water is naturally formed in smaller clusters of 5 or 6 molecules. Because of its natural magnetization, these clusters are more organized and move in an orderly pattern throughout the body. Structured water has a higher density than other water, even to water that has been artificially magnetized. This increases the stability of the molecules, and in turn, also helps to keep the cells themselves more stable.

These magnetized molecules pass readily through the cell membrane into the cell nucleus for better delivery of nutrients. They also can attract toxins and waste materials in the cells and flush them out of the body, creating somewhat of a chelation effect.

Drink Up!

Water is critical to assist the general detoxification process and to re-hydrate the cells and tissues. Give yourself the gift of vibrant health and energy by drinking plenty of ionic, alkaline, structured water. Get yourself a good water bottle, throw a bottle of pH Booster™ in your purse or bag and drink up!

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References:

Aihara, Herman. Acid & Alkaline ? An overview of pH and human health. George Ohsawa Macrobiotic Foundation 1986

Whang, Sang. Reverse Aging. JSP Publications. 2001

Liu, K., Cruzan, J.D. and Saykally, R.J.  Water Clusters. Science Spectra. 1996

Mitsui T, Rose MK, Fomin E, Ogletree DF, Salmeron M., Water diffusion and clustering. Science Spectra. 2002

Young, Robert O PhD. The pH Miracle. Time Warner Books. 2002

Smirnov, Igor. Activated Water. Journal of Biotechnology. 2003

Grogono AW, Byles PH, Hawke W: An in-vivo representation of acid-base balance. Lancet. 1976

Horne, M., Swearingen, P. Pocket Guide to Fluids, Electrolytes, and Acid Base Balance. Mosby. 1993