Earth Day with L. A.

Today is Earth Day so I thought that rather than blog more about core shamanism I would honor Earth Day with a little tune and no, you don't have to suffer through me playing a flute or drum.  Rather, here is a link to Louis Armstrong singing, "What a Wonderful World".  This tune lifts be up whenever I feel a little down. 

Just in case you want to sing along . . .

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom, for me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

I see skies of blue, and clouds of white
The bright blessed days, dark sacred nights
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces, of people going by
I see friends shaking hands, sayin', "How do you do?"
They're really sayin', "I love you"

I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow
They'll learn much more, than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

Yes, I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Oh yeah

Louis releasted the song about 1968 and the link above takes you to a cut from about there era.  Love that man's heart, soul and music.

I'll get back to core shamanism next week with a post about upper-world journeys.

Have a wonderful Earth Day and every day.

Core Shamanism -- Part 5 -- Axis Mundi

In shamanism the axis mundi (also  known as the world tree, cosmic axis, world axis, world pillar, columna cerului, center of the world) is the world center and the connection between Heaven and Earth. It is a point of connection between the upper world, the middle world (where we normally reside) and the lower world and the point where the four compass directions meet.

I discussed shamanic journeys to the lower world in my last post.  In that post I described entering an opening or portal through which you could descend into the lower world. 

One of My Favorite Openings

What you were doing was traveling down the axis mundi from the middle world to the lower world.  For me at least, it is easiest to view the axis mundi as the world tree.  For me the world tree functions like an elevator.  I enter the door (picture above) and the “elevator” takes me down to the lower world or up to the world above.

A World Tree

A world tree or cosmic tree serve as images of the axis mundi. The image of the World Tree provides an axis symbol that unites three planes: upper world (branches), earth or middle world (trunk) and lower world (roots).  Many stories keep the image of the world tree alive for us.  Remember Jack and the Beanstock?  He ascended up the world tree to a realm above the earth.

The axis mundi can take many forms.  One of the most common is a high mountain and in fact shrines are often erected at the summit or base of these locations.  Mount Fuji in Japan, has long symbolized the world axis in Japanese culture.  In China Mount Kun-Lun, "the mountain at the middle of the world", fills a similar role.  Mount Zion probably served the same purpose for the ancient Hebrews.   The Sioux view the Black Hills as the axis mundi.   To Hindus, Mount Kailash is holy.  The Pitjantjatjara people in central Australia consider Uluruto be central to both their world and culture. In ancient Mesopotamia the cultures of ancient Sumer and Babylon erected artificial mountains, or ziggurats, on the flat river plain. These supported staircases leading to temples at the top.  The pre-Columbian residents of Teotihuacán in Mexico erected huge pyramids featuring staircases leading to heaven. For Christians the Cross on Mount Calvary expresses the symbol.  Recall that Christian literature has Christ descending and ascending from the Cross.

It doesn’t really matter what image or place you use as your axis mundi.  Select an site or a tree or anything else that can serve as a symbol for you of the connection of the our realm, the middle world, with the lower world and the upper world.  This will help you remember that you are not stuck in the middle world but that you are a shamanic traveler and that you can find wisdom by traveling between realms

I noted above that the axis mundi is also the point of contact of the four directions.  East is the direction of beginnings.  It is the direction of the rising sun where a new day is announced.  Over the course of the day the sun rises higher in the South, reaching its maximum at mid-day.  The West is the direction of the setting sun, the direction of fulfillment, completion and death.  North, the direction in which the sun never travels, is the place of shadows.  It is the direction of sleep, dreams, visions, and regeneration; the place where the earth and the human spirit wait to be reborn in a new dawn. 

Today try and be conscious of the directions as you face them and the feelings that they may engender within you.

Be Blessed



Core Shamanism -- Part 4

Your First Shamanic Journey

If you have been reading along as I have posted about core shamanism you might be ready to try your first shamanic journey.  As I mentioned in a previous post, the big difference between a shamanic journey and a dream is that shamanic journeys are intentional.  So, given your intention, let’s get started.

Before you begin your journey you need to do a couple of things.  First, determine the purpose of your first journey.  To common objectives are to (1) explore the lower world just to get to know your way around, like how to get there and how to return, or (2) to meet your power animal.  The second thing that you need to do is to identify your portal.  I use an opening in the bottom of a big oak tree that is along a path where I frequently hike.  Your portal can be any opening into the earth, it might be a well, a lake, a waterfall, a cave, the roots of a tree, an opening in a wall  (see below) or you can borrow my opening at the bottom of the oak tree.  Don’t worry about the size of your portal.  You will not enter it with your physical body, rather your intention will lead you through the portal.

Opening in a Wall

Your opening might be a place that you have seen before, once or many times, or one that you imagine.  I prefer openings that really exist in the physical world because they help me experience passing from one reality into another.  I think that the best portals or openings are ones where you feel that the veil that separates one reality from another is thin.  The opening in the wall (above) is one that I dive through (it's less than a foot wide) so my imagination dives through it, not my physical body (which is a good thing because its about 30 feet to the ground on the other side of this opening).

If you are ready to proceed then:

1.    Lay down in dark, quiet place where you won’t be disturbed.  Get comfortable.  It may help to put a pillow under your head or knees.  You might want to put an eye pillow over your eyes.  If you don’t feel totally relax then tighten all of your muscles and then starting at your feet and working up to the top of your head slowly relax each muscle.

2.    Turn on a shamanic drumming track (you can download one from iTunes, get a CD of shamanic drumming, or check YouTube (I’ll post one later and will update this page with the link).   You can easily find 10, 15, 20 and 30 minutes tracks.  I usually use a 15 minute track.  I suggest that you use a track or have someone else drum for you until you are an experienced traveler, then you can drum yourself.

3.    When the drumming starts then find your opening.  I usually take a few minutes and walk, in my mind, through the forest to my portal.  Go through your entry point.

4.    As you pass through your portal see or imagine that you have entered a dimly lit tunnel, hall way, or passage way.  The tunnel may be only a few feet long or it may go on for hundreds of feet, either way see or imagine that you can see a bright light at the end of the tunnel.  That bright light is the opening into the otherworld, the lower world.

Note:  Some of you may be able to close your eyes as see visual images that are as real as the world around you.  Others, like me, close your eyes and “see” darkness.  Your ability to “see” images with your eyes closed is irrelevant.  If you can’t “see” in the dark, then imagine or “know” what is around you.  Some people don’t “know” or “see”, they may hear.  Use whatever sense seems to work best for you.

Don’t worry if you have to “imagine” to get things started.  Aristotle said that image is the language of the soul.  It’s alright to help your soul get started on this journey by using your imagination to image a new reality.

5.     When you enter your portal or opening  don’t try to go into the ground.  Our objective isn’t to see the dirt, bugs, or roots that are under the surface.  We are traveling to a different realm that we perceive as existing beneath the surface of ordinary reality.

6.     Once you are in the passage way take a few minutes to get centered.  Breathe deeply, relax and become familiar with the sensations or thoughts of being out of ordinary reality.  You might want to look around and notice the texture of the walls, the smells, the flow of the air, temperature, humidity and anything else that will help you get a sense of the place.  If your intention was only to go and return then once you have soaked in the sensations of the passage way, turn around and move back up and out of your opening.

7.    If your intention was to meet your power animal then walk to the end of the passage way into the light.  Look around a get a feel for the other world.  When I enter the otherworld I don’t find myself in a dimly lit cave under the earth.  I find myself in a different reality, a different world with bright light, sky, trees, rivers, and mountains.  Call to your power animal and ask it to accompany you and to introduce you to the otherworld.  Enjoy your stay.

8.    When the drumming changes (usually the drummer will stop for an instant, and then change the drum beat to a very fast beat for about 30 seconds, and then takes up a slow and quiet beat.)  you have your signal to return to ordinary reality.  Ask your power animal to take you back to your passage way.  Power animals sometimes take you back, retracing your steps, to your passage way.  Sometimes they just point and say, “There it is.”, and sometimes they use my favorite way and transport you at the speed of thought back to the entrance to your passage way.  Return through the passage way up through your original opening and back into ordinary reality.

To summarize, here is a general template for lower-world journeys:

1.    Lie on the floor, cover your eyes and relax.

2.    State the intention of your journey.

3.    Begin the drumming.

4.    Find your entry point to the lower world

5.    Go through the entry point and into the passage way.

6.    Emerge from the passage way into the lower world

7.    Call to your power animal.

8.    State the purpose of your journey to your power animal.

9.    Let your power animal conduct you on your journey.

10. Return to the passage way when the drumming changes.

11. Go through the passage way, up and out of your entry point, and back into ordinary reality.

Enjoy your first journey . . . more next time.

Shamanic Invocation

In answer to a few qustions about whether or not shamanic practitioners pray I wrote down more or less how I begin every day.  My days start with a greeting to Mother Earth and Father Sky, followed by a little tune on one of my Native American Flutes or a short drumming session.  This is followed by an invocation and blessing which is usually something like this:

I call in the spirits to be with me today.  I call first to my ancestors, those who have gone before me; those who lived well and died well.  I call upon those who brought me all that is good and beautiful and true from my ancestral lines.  I call out to these ancestral helping spirits to be with me and to whisper in my ears to guide me, to tell me what to hold on what to let go.  I ask those ancestors to whisper to me in a way that will teach me how to live in this world in a way that will engage me with the true energies that are underneath all that is apparent.  I call out to these ancestors strongly, to gather around me, to help me do what must be done today and everyday.

From that space within myself I reach down into my heart, down through my feet and into Mother Earth, all the way to the heart of the earth at its very core and I give gratitude to the earth for this day.  I give thanks for all that this day holds, no matter what it is, and I give thanks for life.  Mother Earth, thank you for the miracle that brought life to the face of this planet.  I thank you for your capacity for change and for transformation and for the same capacity the I find within myself, for healing and for moving forward in a way that draws upon the wisdom of the past and opens up to the possibilities of the future.  Mother Earth, thank you for home, for place, for belonging, and for groundedness. 

I draw up the energy of Mother Earth so that I may be connected to the wisdom and power of manifestation and know how to be here in form in a good way.  I ask the energy of Mother Earth to help me feel the energy and the interconnectedness of all things and to know my place in that great web of life, to feel myself as part of that oneness, and to know that I am absolutely essential and irrelevant at the same time.   Mother Earth, give me energy to stand in my place today, wherever it is, and to be the best expression of my soul’s true purpose.  I ask you to help me in my efforts today. 

With the energy of the earth drawn up into my body I direct the energy to flow upwards to my heart, my mind, out the top of my head, and all the way up through all the layers of the sky, all the way up to the highest power of the universe, to Father Sky.  I call down the energy of Father Sky into my life, into my body, into this day and into all that I do.  Father Sky bring down all of the wisdom of the cosmos, to bring down protection, to bring in blessing, and generosity and all of the benevolence of the universe to me and to all beings.  I call these energies into my body and feel the moment when the energy of the sky meets the energy of the earth and these two energies begin to dance within being that  brings me into balance. 

With the energy of the Mother Earth and the Father Sky I call out to the energy of my heart to awaken, to be the force in my life for change and transformation.  I call the energy of the belly, the energy of passion to rise to my heart and I call the crystal clear energy of knowledge and discernment of the mind to descend to my heart so that a new, a third energy can be born.  That third energy is my knowledge of why I am here, my connection to my soul’s purpose.  I ask for the courage to reach within myself to bring the purpose out and to use it to guide and direct my life so that I can bring my gifts to the world. 

With these energies called in, the energy of the heart,  the energy of Mother Earth and Father sky and that of my ancestors who are standing around me I ask that this day go forward with blessings for all living things, that what needs to be done is done, that what needs to be said is said, that what needs to be heard in heard, and that I am better able to make my soul’s purpose manifest this day because of it.

Copyright © 2012 David Murphy

Core Shamanism -- Part 3

Power Animals

(Warning  . . . This started out light, and I’m afraid that I may have waxed too philosophical and heavy.  I promise the next post will be lighter)

            As an aside, if you don’t remember this from an earlier post, religion and shamanism are not in competition with each other.  Shamanism doesn’t ask that you give up your religious beliefs.  Nevertheless, shamanism and traditional religion are fundamentally different in several respects.  For example shamanism asks that you view the world, both seen and unseen, with different eyes.  It asks that you see all that is with a fresh perspective and realize that (1) there is more to this existence than what we can see, touch, feel, and hear; and (2) you have the ability, without help from another mortal, to access the unseen world.  In addition, from my point of view, most religions teach that you have become separate from The Source and that you need to realign yourself once again with IT.  Shamanism on the other hand believes that you are one with The Source.  That means that you and I and The Source are all interconnected and that IT is present in all of us.

Traditional religion has colored the way that we see the world and has tended to turn concepts that should be simple into ideas that are very complex. Religion doesn’t describe reality, it describes an interpretive reality.  If we presume that reality is one, that is that multiple realities cannot exist simultaneously in the same time and place, and if religion described reality, then there should only be one religion (one reality leads to one religion).  On the other hand if we presume that reality is one but that religion is an interpretation of that reality, we can have multiple views of that one reality from different perspectives (one reality with multiple interpretations of it).   The great religions are messages that have been given to humans by Spirit, and then which have been interpreted (in a specific place and time) by humans . . . an interpretive reality.

In the same way, a shamanic journey is an interpretive reality.  I go on a shamanic journey, have an experience, and then interpret that journey in light of my own background, needs and wants and experience.  We are always limited in our capacity to interpret the messages that we get from Spirit.  The message is as “true” as we are willing and able to understand an incorporate into our lives.  Because we are human the logic of the brain may never be sufficient to fully grasp and incorporate the full reality of messages from The Source.

Finally . . . Power Animals

Most of us, born into this world without memory and with free will, are perfectly poised to make a complete mess of our lives and the lives of those around us.  Guess what?  The Source doesn’t care . . . It doesn’t care about your weight, your race, your gender, your political leanings, your nationality, or your pocket book.  On the other hand it does care about you learning to use your free will in ways that are good for all.  The Source has provided helping spirits in forms that we can relate to, to teach, guide and direct us as we learn how to use our free will.  The Source doesn’t care how you see your helping spirits, as long as you see them in a way that helps you and makes it easier for you to work with them.  My guess is that we see our helping spirits in ways that are culturally and experientially meaningful to us.

From a shamanic perspective, everything that is is alive.  Obviously a tree is alive, but so is a rock.  The life of a rock is different is from the life of a tree which is different from your life or mine.  The Oak tree outside my window has a spirit.  Oak, as a species, has a universal Oak spirit as well.   All that is alive may communicate with us by speaking spirit-to-spirit.

Whether you accept them or not, whether you believe in them or not, you have Helping Spirits.  All true helping spirits are protective, though they may specialize in healing,  guidance or teaching.   All true helping spirits are a voice of The Source.  Helping Spirits come to us many ways and generally reflect back to us what we are, especially the parts of ourselves that we haven’t discovered or are not yet owning. 

They may appear in dreams, shamanic journeys, or during meditations.  Helping spirits may appear in the forms of animals, plants, fish, mythical beasts and beings, ancestors, deities, elementals, and features of the local geography, like mountains or lakes, and even rocks (remember that everything that is is alive).  I will always remember picking a beautiful piece of petrified wood while hiking in Washington State and hearing in my mind the rock tell me, “I use to be a tree and I’m pleased with my new form.”  As I age that message means more to me now than it did 30 years ago.  I use to be young, and I am pleased with my new (older) form.  It just took some time for me to catch up with message, to be in a place where the message now has meaning in my life.

Power animals are one of the many ways that shamanic peoples, both ancient and contemporary, envision the help that reaches out to humans from The Source of All That Is (whatever you may call it).  Humans have never responded well with direct communication with The Source.  We tend think that a visit from God would solve all of our problems immediately, but when the visit comes we are overwhelmed in such a way that the message is totally lost. Humans prefer mediation from burning bushes and angels and things that have faces they can talk to.  After all, we are just little kids at heart.

I view power animals as energetic constructs that help us to live in harmony with The Source.  By the way, you are a highly stable energy construct.  That means that power animals are just as real as you are.  We are all energy.  There is something about our energy that makes us manifest in the physical world (a low vibrational level perhaps).  There is something about the energy of our power animals and other helping spirits that keeps them from manifesting in the physical world (a higher vibrational level perhaps).  Are we real?  Are they real?  Both are as real as is energy.

For us to be mature as spiritual adults it is necessary for us to have a working relationship with Spirit.  We need to have tools so that we can send and receive message from Spirit.  Power animals are stable energy patterns that take meaningful forms so that Spirit can communicate with us.

From a shamanic perspective we humans are not at the top of the ladder in terms on consciousness.  In fact, I expect that we are close to the bottom of the ladder.  If you have read research on plant consciousness (non-local, instantaneous communication for example) then you may realize that they may be a lot higher on the consciousness ladder than we are.  Have you ever heard a tree or a rock deny its true destiny, its life purpose?  They accept who they are, often times we don’t.  The Source and helping spirits know that we have a tendency to mess things up so there are here to help.  Pay attention to them.  Listen to them. 

Next post . . . how to engage with your power animals and other helping spirits.

Core Shamanism -- Part 1

Over the course of living and working for five years in the Andes Mountains of Bolivia and Peru I became interested in shamanism as a spritual practice.  No, I don't think of myself as a shaman although I do know quite a few.  I am however a practitioner of core shamanism as a daily spiritual practice.  A practitioner is simply someone who practices something.  I practice core shamanism.

Core shamanism isn't a religion, its more of a way of seeing the world and our place in it, and of interacting with the normally unseen world of spirits.  Because it is not a religion you can practice it if you like, no matter what religion calls to your heart. 

Practitioners of core shamanism often refer to non-ordinary reality.  We recognize, as do quantum and theoretical physicists, that there is more to this world than what we can senes with our five senses.  Non-ordinary reality is the place, a unseen dimension if you will, where nature spirits, the spirits of the land and animals, reside.  It is also the dimension where we find our deceased ancestors, spirit guides, totem animals, angels, gods and goddesses . . . whatever fits into your belief system. 

From my perspective, just because I can't see something doesn't necessarily mean that it doesn't exist.  By the same token, just becuase I can see or feel something it doesn't mean that my perception of the object is reality.  For example, take the table that is probably in front of you.  It looks solid.  You can feel it and it supports objects.  But the apparently solid table is, just like you and me, made up of whirling fields of energy in which there is more empty space than physical atoms.  Thus, I have learned to be quite open about what I accept as "reality".

One of the practices of core shamanism, given that non-ordinary reality exists, is to visit it.  In core shamanism we use practices to alter our consciousness (sprit, soul) and travel into non-ordinary reality and have direct experiences with our ancestors, friends, guides, guardians, and instructors who reside there.  You may have grown up believing that you have a guardian angel.  If so, then why not make friends with that being and interact directly with it (him or her)? 

The process of sending your consciousness into non-ordinary reality is called a shamanic journey.  Although some traditions use plant spirits (for example the spirit of Peyote) to assist in making the journey, most non-native shamanic practitioners like me use deep meditative states assisted with drumming.  A rapid, constant drum beat seems to facilitate the shift from perceiving ordinary reality to perceiving non-ordinary reality. 

Sandra Ingerman's book, Shamanic Journeying:  A Beginner's Guide is a good place to start.  It comes with a drummind CD so you can close your eyes and listen to the drum beat and not have to worry about drumming yourself.  Katie Weatherup has written a very accessible introduction to shamanism,  Practical Shamanism, A Guide for Walking in Both Worlds . 

Step outside your box and discover that there is more to "reality" than you ever imagined.  We all live inside a three-dimensional box.  Guess what?  There is "stuff" outside that box and you can discover it for yourself.

More to come . . .

When All Else Fails

I took my family on a ten mile hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains about a week ago. My wife took her cell phone to test coverage . . . no towers near . . . no phone calls. When she couldn't get a tower she asked me what we would do if we had an emergency (she worries about my heart).  That's a great question.  What would you do if you were 30 miles away from the nearest town, on a mountain trail about five miles away from the nearest road and something went wrong?

I pulled out my 2 meter/ 70 cm hand held ham radio with all of five watts of output (a lot more power than a cell phone by the way), announced, "AJ4AL monitoring" and quickly made a couple of contacts through one of the Lynchburg repeaters about 40 miles away and then for fun made contacts with ham radio operators in Bedford, Lexingon and Roanoke through other repeaters.  Then I tried contacting Lynchburg again on simplex (without a repeater) and got a call back. When all else fails . . . ham radio. Nice to know the help was only a CQ away.  That’s -.-.   --.-

This is my 2m/70cm hiking companion

By the way, you don’t need to learn Morse code to earn a ham radio license.  That requirement was eliminated several years ago.  Lucky for me I didn't have to take the 20 word per minute Morse Code exam when I advanced to an extra class license.  However, I did take the old 5 wpm years ago when I took the Novice exam.  The license classes have also been simplified.  Only three amateur radio licenses are granted today, the technician, general and extra class licenses. 

The tech class license will authorize you to use the VHF/UHF radio that I took up to the Blue Ridge.  It is great for local communication and emergency work.  The general class and extra class licenses provide voice as well as data frequency allocations on HF bands . . . the frequencies where you can contact amateur radio operators on the other side of the planet when conditions are good.

The Tech class license exam is 35 multiple choice questions and the question pool and answers are published.  Don't you wish the exams that you took in college were like that?  Elementary school students frequently pass the exam and I expect that my 10 year old son will pass it before he turns 11 in two months.

If you want to learn more about amateur radio go to the ARRL website.  You will find more information about licensing, as well as contact information for your local amateur radio club.  Chances are good there is a club near you that may offer licensing classes as well as exams.

Strange thing for a wellness coach to write about?  Not really.  Part of being well is being prepared.

Drum Circles

We are constantly surrounded by rhythms, most of which we ignore.  Put your hand on your chest; yes, right now.  Can you feel your heart beat?  That is the rhythm of your body.  You drum internally 24 hours a day, every day of your life.  When your rhythm stops, you stop.  I send love and thankfulness to my internal drum every day.  There are other ways to drum as well.

I was the drummer in a band in the late 60s . . . no, don't count my age on your fingers.  Two years ago my wife bought a drum kit for me for father's day.  Now I sit alone in the basement and drum along with some of the best bands in history.  Bands that I could only dreamed about playing with in 1968.  But when I drum, I drum alone (I really think that it scares everyone out of the house).

There is something primal about drumming, and it gets better when you don't drum alone.  We all belong to different groups, family groups, work groups, social groups, church groups.  We all live in communities of one kind or another.  Most of these groups are formal; place where we have to be on our best behavior.  I don't mind belonging to some groups, it is probably necessary (although sometimes I think that a cave in the Himalayas would be nice).  However, I want to be part of a TRIBE.  My drum circle gives me a tribe.

Drum circles are probably thousands a years old.  I can envision my ancestors sitting around a fire in the dark drumming on whatever made a cool sound.  Some were drumming, other clapping, tapping their feet, or shaking rattles.  It was tribal music making.  Give this a try.

I can think of a number of reasons to drum, besides being with my tribe:

• Spirituality -- drumming is used in many spriritual traditions as a way to enter into an altered state of consciousness and to thus bridge the gap between ourselves and the Divine.  I have found that earth-bases spiritual traditions are more likely to use drums in this way.
• Community -- get together with your tribe and make a loud, joyous sound.  I still remember one drum circle where the leader (that position rotates in our group) invented a new rhythm and we all slowly joined in.  Seventy minutes later we started to wind the set down.  It ended with high-fives and "Wow man, that was intense."  Try getting that feeling in a faculty meeting.
• Self-expression -- Some evenings I sit alone on the deck and drum my feelings.  Often one or more of my sons will eventually grab a drum and wander out to join me.  Nothing is said, we just drum together as one.
• Attunement with nature -- Most mornings I get up, grab my Native American flute and go outside to greet nature and say hello to the sun (Wellness Flute).  Other days I grab a drum, sit on the earth and drum with nature.  It is a great way to begin the day grounded (I try not to do it too early so I don't offend the neighborhood).
• Healing -- Different rhythms have been used for centuries if not millenia for complementary and integrative medicine.  Think of ancient shamans using drums as a tool.  Today, if you want, you can even be attuned to Reiki Drumming as a healing modality.  Here is one version of it from YouTube.

A good resource for newbies to drum circles is the Healing Drum Kit, (ISBN:  978-1-59179-278-9).  I come with a nice Remo synthetic head drum.  I love the drum that I built from a Grey Wolf kit but in the summer when it gets hot and humid I take the little Remo drum with me.  If you want to build your own drum then check out Grey Wolf's kits at:  http://greywolfdrums.com/

Finally, check this drummer out . . . might make you smile.

Acid - Alkaline Balance and the Food You Eat

Introduction

This article attempts to summarize the importance of the acid-alkaline balance in the human body as a measure of overall physical health, and to indicate several steps that can be taken if you need to improve that balance.

Body Chemistry

We live and die on a cellular level. If our cells are healthy then we are healthy and if our cells are not healthy, if they live in a toxic environment, then we are not healthy. The human body contains about ten gallons of fluid so its cells are swimming in an ocean that is either acid, neutral or alkaline. The body’s systems work best in an environment that is neutral to slightly alkaline although some vital organs, like the stomach, either produce or house very acidic substances.

The pH, or “potential of Hydrogen” is a logarithmic scale that measures the relative acidity or alkalinity of a solution. Solutions are measured from 0 (totally acid) to 14 (totally alkaline) and 7 is neutral. The intracellular fluid should have a pH of about 6.8. If the pH is too low (more acidic) then enzymes can’t work and other cellular-level process that are life and health sustaining can’t take place.

Although the cells live in an almost pH neutral environment, they produce acid as they convert food into energy and then perform work. The weak acid that they produce is easily eliminated by the respiratory system. This is the first, and natural source of acid in our bodies. Although we don’t eat a lot of acid food most of the food in the “typical” American diet  produces acid ash. Ash is the residue that is left after the body has used what it can of the food that we ingest. Acid ash in solution is a much stronger acid than that produced by the cells and it must be eliminate by the kidneys.

The strong acid produced by the “typical” American diet is so strong that it would burn the urinary tract upon elimination. Consequently the body buffers the acid. Alkaline minerals (calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium) are added to the strong (pH 5.5) acid when a person’s alkaline mineral reserve is full. This converts the strong acid into a very weak acid that is excreted as urine. On the other hand, if a person’s alkaline mineral reserves are depleted then the body is forced to buffer the strong acid with ammonia (a strong alkaline, pH 9.25). This results in the secretion of alkaline urine (pH of about 8.0).

Urine pH is a measure of the environmental conditions in which the cells live. It also shows how the body responded to the food that was ingested within the last 24 hours. This in turn is a good measure of how well the body is functioning. As a general rule, if urine has a pH of about 5.5 in the morning after eating meats, eggs, bread, milk, cheese and cereal the day before then alkaline mineral reserves are adequate and body acid-alkaline balance is healthy.

High Body Acidity

High acidity is the most common acid-alkaline balance problem. When the body’s mineral reserves are depleted the body “borrows” minerals from what ever source it can. This usually means that minerals are borrowed from bones and vital organs. Over time this weakens the organs and muscles. Some of the common health problems that result from high acidity include:

• Acceleration of free radical damage,
• Bladder and kidney problems,
• Cardiovascular weakness,
• Immune system weakness,
• Lactic acid buildup in joints resulting in joint pain,
• Low energy,
• Osteoporosis, eventually resulting in brittle bones and hip fractures, and
• Weight gain.

Diet is the primary cause of acid-alkaline imbalance in the body. The tables below classify common foods as either alkaline ash producing (Table 1) or acid ash producing (Table 2). Foods identified with an asterisks are either very alkaline ash producing or very acid ash producing. Very acid-ash producing foods should be avoided. On the other hand, very alkaline-ash producing foods can be used to help counteract an acid imbalance. In addition, it is important to note that a food may be acidic, like a lemon, but be alkaline ash producing so don‘t always go by taste.

Table 1
Common Alkaline Ash Producing Foods

Almonds                    Amarantha                Apples
Apricots                      Asparagus*               Avocados
Bananas                    Beans (Dried)           Beet greens
Beets                          Blackberries              Broccoli*
Brussels sprouts      Cabbage                    Canola Oil
Carrots                       Cauliflower               Celery
Chard leaves            Cherries (Sour)        Chestnuts
Cucumbers               Parsnips                    Dates (Dried)
Figs (Dried)               Flax oil                       Garlic*
Grapefruit*                 Grapes                       Green beans
Green peas               Green tea                  Herb teas *
Honey (Raw)            Kiwi                              Lemons*
Lettuce                       Lima beans               Limes*

Mangoes*                  Maple syrup              Milk (Goat’s)
Millet                           Molasses                   Mushrooms
Musk melon              Olive oil*                    Onions*
Oranges                     Papaya*                     Parsley*
Peaches                    Pears                          Pineapple
Potatoes (Sweet)      Potatoes (White)      Quinoa
Radishes                   Raisins                      Raspberries
Rice syrup                 Rice (Wild)                Rutabagas (Green)
Sauerkraut                Soy beans (Green) Spinach (Raw)*
Strawberries              Sugar (Raw)                         Tangerines
Tomatoes                   Watercress                Watermelon*

Table 2
Common Acid Ash Producing Foods

Artificial sweeteners* Bacon                      Barley
Beans(Dried)            Beer*                          Beef*
Blueberries *             Bran (Wheat)            Bran (Oat)
Bread (White)           Bread (Whole wheat)Butter
Carob*                        Cashews                   Cheese*

Chicken                     Codfish                      Coffee

Corn                           Corn oil                      Corned beef

Crackers (Soda)       Cranberries*                         Plums
Eggs                           Flour(White)*            Flour (Whole wheat)
Haddock                    Honey(Processed)   Lentils (Dried)

Lobster                       Milk (Cow’s)              Milk(Homogenized)*
Molasses                   Macaroni                   Oatmeal

Oysters                       Pasta*                                    Pastries*

Peanut butter            Peanuts*                   Peas (Dried)

Pecans                      Pike                            Pinto beans

Pork*                          Prunes*                     Pumpkin seeds

Rice (Brown)             Rice (White)              Salmon

Sardines                    Sausage                    Scallops

Shellfish*                  Shrimp                       Soft Drinks*

Soybean*                  Spaghetti                   Spelt

Spinach (Cooked)   Squash (Winter)       Sugar (Refined)

Sunflower seeds      Tea                             Turkey

Veal                            Venison                     Walnuts*

Wheat germ              Yogurt

Eighty percent of a persons diet should be alkaline foods and the balance (20%) acid ash producing for a perfect pH balance.

There are a few other things, in addition to diet, that can be done to help correct an over acidic balance. These include taking enzyme supplements, organic calcium and magnesium supplements, colloidal minerals, vitamin A and D, and drinking alkaline vegetable juices (carrot, celery and beet) and lemon/maple syrup drink.

Most adults don’t produce enough digestive enzymes and so partially digested food enters the intestines or sits in the stomach and becomes more acidic. Enzyme supplementation helps treat this problem. Mineral supplements are important to build up the potentially depleted mineral reserve of the body. In addition, most vitamins can’t be used effectively if the necessary minerals are not present. Vitamins A and D help hold calcium in the body and reduce the risk of calcium depletion. Alkaline drinks help change the pH balance of body fluids. Finally, if you are taking ascorbic acid to get your vitamin C allowance then switch to either Rose Hips or Citrus Bioflavonoids, neither of which is acidic.

Conclusion

Our bodies are constantly rebuilding themselves. You really are not the same person that you were last year. The body replaces the lining of the stomach about every five days, the skin in about a month, the skeleton about every three months, the liver about every six weeks and the red blood cells circulate for about 120 days before being replaced by new cells. What you do today affects the body that you will have tomorrow. That can be good or bad . . . it all depends on what you do. The new body that you are building today is affected by the food that you eat, the waste that you eliminate (and as important, by the waste that you don't eliminate), by the air that you breath, the liquids that you drink, and by the stress that you feel and how you respond to it. Everything that you do affects the new body that you are building for yourself. A long-term acid ash producing diet creates a toxic environment at the cellular level. If the cells can’t function, the body ceases to function. On the other hand, a healthy diet creates an environment that is conducive to cellular and total health.

DHEA

Dr. Dave, N.D., Ph. D. The Wellness Coach Nutrient Report – DHEA

What is DHEA?
DHEA or Dehydroepiandrosterone is a naturally occurring androgenic pro-hormone, similar to Androstenedione. It is produced naturally by the adrenal glands in both men and women and is then converted by the body into male or female hormones like estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, based on individual physiology. When we are about 7 years old our bodies begin producing DHEA. Its production peaks between the ages of 20-24 and then begins to declines steadily, at the rate of about 20% per decade, until we eventually bottom out at approximately 10% of peak levels by the time we reach 80 years of age. Most 70 year olds have one-fourth of the DHEA that they had at age 25.

Why is DHEA Important?

DHEA can help support a variety of natural functions like cellular energy formation, fat metabolism and muscle growth. It plays an important role in the aging process and in age-related deterioration. It also has been shown to improve energy levels, endurance, immunity, insulin function, libido, memory, muscle tone, sleep and feelings of general well-being.

DHEA has become a popular nutrient supplement because it may help enhance the body's natural testosterone production. Increased testosterone production can lead to increased libido, increased sense of well being and an increase in metabolism. DHEA supplementation can be important for individuals over 40 than it is for adults in their 20's and 30's because of their naturally lower levels of DHEA.

Those in the 40 and over group aren't the only ones using DHEA. Athletes use DHEA to help ensure that their levels of this natural hormone are at normal levels at all times. This is done to help ensure that testosterone levels are maintained through a natural platform without the use of dangerous drugs like steroids.

What are the Potential Effects of DHEA Supplementation?

A number of studies on DHEA and it's potential benefits have been conducted. In one study that examined the effects of a 50mg daily oral dose in men and women over 50 years of age. Blood tests revealed that the test subject's DHEA levels rose to those of young adults after just two weeks of supplementation. In addition, the study reported that certain aspects of immune system function were upgraded. Test subjects were given 100mg of DHEA at night before going to sleep in a follow-up study that also using mature adults. As was expected, this caused a increase in DHEA levels and in immune function. The most important finding in this study was that the test subjects gained lean body mass (muscle) and found that their strength levels were substantially improved! In addition, the men in the study experienced a significant decrease in body fat over the control group.

Thus it appears that DHEA supplementation may cause:

·         an increase in blood DHEA levels,

·         enhanced immune system function,

·         an increase in muscle mass,

·         an increase in muscle strength, and

·         a decrease in body fat in men.

How Much DHEA Should I Take?

There are no definitive guidelines on how much DHEA to take. Literature suggests that men take from 50-200mg per day. This should be spread out over the day to maintain a constant level in the body. Women tend to respond much more dramatically to DHEA than men so 50mg every other day may be sufficient.

What are the potential side effects?

Caution should always be exercised when taking any supplement. We recommend that you always consult your physician before beginning a supplement program. DHEA is a powerful supplement and so is not recommend for individuals with hormonal imbalances, high blood pressure or prostate hypertrophy. Acne and other androgenic side effects may be experienced by women who use high or prolonged dosage of DHEA.

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Information contained in Nutrient Reports, such as this, is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, cure, or prescribe forms of treatment. The IWI does not distribute or provide medical advice and is not responsible for use or application of information contained in these reports. Issues concerning health should be referred to qualified health professionals.
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