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3 Favs
Favorite Pet Picture: In honor of #WearyWillieDay (who captured the hearts of the people of the Great Depression), meet another Willie! This pup is 4-months old. Although he is blind, he is curious, playful, and brave. He’s looking for a home with a dog who can show him the ropes. He is currently being cared for through I Stand With My Pack. If you know his fur-ever family, pass this along and introduce them!
Favorite Book Quote: Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
“Status will get you nowhere. Only an open heart will allow you to float equally between everyone.”
Random Favorite: Looking for Snowmen
There is something about Santa and Snowmen this year that keeps us traveling the streets. We’re loving the Christmas decorations!
What were some of your favorite things this week?
& a Q
Question: How do I help my family recover? We’ve all been sick with viruses forever. It’s like we all keep getting sick over and over again.
*This is not medical, legal, or financial advice. If you need that, please see the appropriate professional.
First, viruses are not necessarily the bad guys they are made out to be. Our body is full of viruses and, for the most part, we live harmoniously with them. But, when we get out of balance, we can start becoming more open to the negative effects of viruses. I don’t look at viruses as an adversary - really they are just indicators that something needs to change. They show us that we are overwhelmed and they force us to rest, tone up our immune system, and (for healthy people) make us stronger. However, since most people don’t think of viruses as little helpful friends, I’ll refer to them as pathogens. Because a pathogenic infection indicates that you are out of balance, I’ll give you some lifestyle changes that you can make to get your family back in balance.
Reconsider the drugs. Fever reducers, cough suppressants, decongestants are all designed to stop the body from what it’s meant to do naturally - which is to address a pathogen and get itself back in balance. Taking these medications actually pushes the illness deeper so it’s harder to get rid of and weakens the body even more. Look for natural ways to address illness - you’ll find plenty online!
Get an acupuncturist. I’ve seen acupuncture work miracles at the first sign of a cough. I’ve gone from being awake in the middle of the night worrying to having a comfortably sleeping child within 20 minutes of a treatment. You’ll want to find an acupuncturist that knows how to work with kids and is well-versed in herbal remedies because taking the wrong herbal formula can also push a pathogen deeper. But the right formula at the right time can be magic! (If you can’t find an acupuncturist, maybe you’d like to try homeopathy. Homeopathic remedies are readily available at the store and, according to the seminar I went to, the worst that can happen if you pick the wrong one is that it doesn’t help. Many do have sugar and lactose added so be aware of that. And make sure you choose a quality brand.)
Get a humidifier. Chances are, you’ve got your heater on a lot recently. That can dry out your nose - which must be moist in order to do it’s job of blocking pathogens and keeping your respiratory system in balance. A humidifier will moisten things up, allowing your respiratory system to work better. Just make sure you change the water daily so stuff doesn’t grow in it.
Make your own hand soap. Store-bought hand soap can be irritating and can strip your skin of its natural microbiome - which is an important part of the immune system. Anti-bacterial soap also kills all the weak pathogens and leaves only the strongest - which creates superbugs. So, find a nice home-made soap recipe online. If getting your kids to wash their hands is an issue, you can allow each of your children to make their own with their own special essential oils added. (See #11 for safety cautions.) That will do wonders for their desire to wash their hands. You can teach them to sing a song while rubbing their hand to make bubbles and sing it again while rubbing their hands under the water.
Ditch the chemicals. Cleaning products can be full of chemicals that irritate your respiratory system and your skin (and create superbugs). Making your own (or going out of your way to find natural ones) can make a big difference.
Get outside. When kids are sick we often confine them to the couch or encourage them to play quietly. Let the kids get outside and run around as much as they want (and you can run around with them). This does several things. First, it’s funny and good-natured laughter is good for the immune system. But, running around will move the blood and energy allowing the whole system to work better. It will probably also move what’s been sitting in your lungs causing you all to cough. Nobody is going to get better with a bunch of junk in their lungs, so, running and coughing to the point of almost throwing up (or actually throwing up) could be beneficial. (No, I’m not crazy - this was a bit of advice a got from a pediatric ER doc during a seminar.) Also, fresh air, sunshine, and touching Earth are all essential for rejuvenating the immune system (and the rest of your body). Bonus if you can be around trees - which represent the lungs of Earth and are great healing allies!
Rest. After all that running and coughing and laughing, you’re probably all ready for a nap. If you’re sleepy, go to sleep. Don’t push yourself. Stay home from work (your coworkers will thank you) and keep the kids home from school. The fact that you haven’t kicked this thing already (or that you just keep getting sick) means your system is tired. Let it rest!
Push the pause button on sugar. This one is hard because sugar is more addictive than cocaine (according to the mice that were forced to become junkies in that one experiment). But, sugar also weakens the immune system. Here’s how: phagocytes are like Pac Man and viruses are like the flashing ghosts. You score big if Pac Man eats those ghosts. But, phagocytes will get full on sugar and not be hungry for viruses. So, don’t feed the phagocytes - make them want the viruses. (You’ll probably also want to skip the milk products and any fried foods for a bit too.)
Try warm lemon water. You’re probably wondering what you’re going to drink now that 7-Up is out since it’s basically flavored sugar. Try warm lemon water with just a pinch of sea salt. It’s great for electrolytes, vitamin C, helps eliminate toxins, reduces inflammation, and, if you add a little raw honey, it can feel great on a sore throat. If you want to add in a little something special, get my Magic Morning Joy Potion recipe!
Take an Epsom salt bath. Yes, it feels great for sore muscles, but my goal in writing this is not symptom relief, it’s lifestyle changes. Adding a little extra magnesium into your life could boost your immune functioning and ability to detox. If you have trouble with magnesium (like it affects your heart or brain in non-ideal ways), skip this one. One indicator that you’ve consumed too much magnesium is diarrhea. You’re probably not drinking the bath water, but just be aware and cut back on the salts if things get a little loose. When choosing your brand, get good quality salts that don’t have anything added. Do some research to learn how much to use and how to safely use it for kids.
Diffuse essential oils. You’ve got to be careful with these around kids and pets. Peppermint is great for respiratory stuff but it can also cause choking and other serious issues in babies, for example. Also, there are a lot of not-so-quality essential oils out there and you probably don’t want to be breathing or touching them. Do your research, but there are blends that you can use to both help with symptoms and use to stay well. Essential Oils for Healing by Vannoy Gentles Fite has some fun ideas.
Sing. Sound is great for healing and singing is fun for the family to do together. Choosing songs that are uplifting is especially important. My family likes to sing this one together. Also, search for healing music online, break out the singing bowls, or try making intuitive healing sounds (which kids LOVE to do).
Pray, meditate, or just give thanks. Prayer, meditation, and gratitude are are miraculous. Negativity, however, is probably the most taxing thing for the immune system. Pray or meditate if that helps you shift your thinking. Overwhelmed and it feels like too much? Just try the 3-breath meditation (which will also help your respiratory system). Saying “thank you” over and over throughout the day, even if you don’t feel it, can also shift your mindset.
A note to those who are reading this who are completely overwhelmed, can’t take time off to rest, and have to take the meds to function or everything will fall apart:
I understand. Do the best you can. Even if it means that you’re just going to skip the sugar in your coffee and drink some extra water because that’s all you can handle. Let that be good enough. Stressing out about what you can’t do isn’t going to help. But, whatever you do, do it with the intention that you are contributing to your healing.
Do you have any thoughts on the question or would you like to submit your own question? Press the “Leave a comment” button!
Featured
I’ve finally got my website up! Each week, I’ll feature a product or service. This week, I’m featuring Pandora’s Potions!
Pandora’s Potions are the name I chose for my specific line of “stone elixirs” - which actually means: water that’s been infused with the energy, or vibrations, from gemstones or crystals. If you remember from last week’s 3 Fav’s & a Q in which I featured Stone Sessions, I talked about how stones can interact with our own energy helping us to shift our energy if what we’re experiencing is not what we want to be experiencing. Well, Pandora’s Potions are one, ready-made, way to use stones. I take care of all the hard work for you! Click here to find out more about how they’re made.
Currently Available:
Cat Lady Lover (For: if you don't do cats but someone you have to be near does)
Change of Heart (For: if your relationship with a loved one has gotten unloving)
Reset (For: that post-screen out-of-it feeling)
Fulfilled (For: that thing that's missing from your "perfect" life)
Powerful (For: remembering your power)
Full of Love (For: that lonely feeling)
Unwind (For: when you've had "one of those days")
Each bottle is made specifically for you, so expect a little time before I ship it out.
I’m still working on creating beautiful pictures so I hope that the placeholder doesn’t turn you off too much.
Pandora’s Potions orders include free shipping from now until the end of 2021.
Be a part of it all!
Did you know the Typically Invisible Newsletter offers daily energy updates? Here’s how it works:
If you want to try the full subscription version free for a week, email me at TypicallyInvisible@protonmail.com and I’ll set it up. If you want 3 months free, email me and I’ll give you the details. OR…
Submit your email on the website and you’ll receive the weekly 3 Favs & a Q (or an Interview). You’ll also get a taste of the daily newsletters on the first of every month. If you got this newsletter in your inbox, you’re already done.
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Do you want more than you’re getting right now? Subscribe!
Follow me on Twitter @KarenEstepa3 for tweets that keep you connected with the energy of the day. You can now also find me on Pinterest! AND (as of the writing of this newsletter) I now have several whole Instagram posts! Yay!
Month in Review
Just in case you missed them, here are the weekly emails from the last month:
Question: Why do I feel like I have PTSD if nothing bad ever happened to me?
Question: What do I do if I’m anxious and don’t know why?
Question: How do I manifest specific stuff?
Question: How do I manifest?
Question: Why do we crave the bad?
Week in Review
Here is the subscriber-only content you may have missed this last week. Remember, the daily energy updates are relevant for the day, but the exercises can be done at any time!
Friday: Reboot
Saturday: Spontaneous Movement
Sunday: Get Ready
Monday: Create Systems
Tuesday: Goals for a Better World
Special: Healing for the Attack on Pearl Harbor (Available to everyone!)
Wednesday: Imagine a World
Today: More, Please!
To have access to the above links, Subscribe now!
Share the Connection
Did you like what you read today or do you just want to make sure people see Willie’s cute face? Push that “Share” button.
Looking for a great Christmas gift? Do you know someone who would benefit from going with the flow rather than fighting the current?