COLD SHOWERS: Many people are talking about the benefits of contrast showers or cold showers or going into cold water somewhere. I started doing contrast showers this winter. It is actually easier during this time because you got the heat on at home instead of the air conditioning, so it feels better. I’ve noticed that after taking a bath in really warm water, a cold shower rinse after feels really good and is not too difficult to do. I figured out that staying consistent with doing the cold shower is all about patience. I don’t resonate with the idea of shocking the body and jumping under cold water all at once. I do it gradually. You have to be patient with your body so that each part gets used to the cold. First I take a nice warm shower and finish with a few minutes under cold water. First I put my foot under the cold water, then the other foot. Then the arm elbow to hand, and then the other arm same thing. Then entire leg, and then I turn around and let the cold water go on the back of the leg. I do one leg at a time. Then I let the cold water go on the shoulder, down the arm. Then the entire back. If it feels too cold I step away for a few seconds so that the cold water is not touching me. For some reason my stomach and chest area feels more sensitive to the cold, so if I am up for it I will cool that area last or skip it. I also only wash my hair once a week, so I will only put cold water on my head when I wash it, and I do that last. I tried to stay consistent with cold showers for many years, but did not. Recently I watched this Alex Fergus video, and the energy he shares here motivated me. I don’t do cold showers every day, I do them intuitively, which amounts to maybe a few times a week. Also it is important to have a shower filter. I use the New Wave Enviro.

SHAMPOO: To my knowledge the best and purest shampoos are sold at LivingLibations.com But I also have a few other ones that are good but not amazing, so to make them more amazing I add Rosemary essential oil to them. You can add any essential oil you love like lavender or orange. You can add several essential oils depending on your preference. But Rosemary essential oil is said to be very beneficial for the hair and scalp. You can add a bunch of drops directly to the bottle, but I like to put the shampoo in my palm and add 3 drops of the essential oil to the small portion that I’m about to use. The smell is amazing. If you have a natural conditioner which you don’t mind to let sit on your scalp for a few minutes, add essential oil to that and create a healing hair and scalp mask. Another great mask is castor oil with rosemary essential oil. Massage the oils into scalp, you can keep that mask 20 minutes or the whole day, and then wash it off with shampoo. Another random tip I discovered while listening to a podcast with Nadine Artemis is that taking a melatonin supplement makes the hair grow faster and longer. I’ve experimented with this supplement and it actually worked for me. Although I am at a point where I am no longer interested in taking supplements. I am more focused on eating healthy and only supplementing with powder forms like powdered Ashwagandha or powdered Alfalfa, etc.

LYMPHATIC MASSAGE: I really love dry brushing using a natural bristle brush before a shower. I even got a new brush several months ago that has copper bristles. It is said that as you gently brush your skin, the metal generates negative ions. Once again LivingLibations has awesome brushes. If you sign up for their newsletter or follow livinglibationsofficial and nadineartemisofficial on Instagram, you will know when they have sales. Another tip I recently learned is when you do lymphatic massage you need to do the movements to the front of the body and up towards the armpit. Kelly does a great job explaining the method and her YouTube channel has many informational videos.

DMSO: Dimethyl sulfoxide is a by-product of paper making. It comes from a substance found in wood. I’ve read a few books on it and the benefits seem pretty miraculous. I have only been using it for a short time, so I don’t have any experiential conclusions, but according to these books, it is worth to have at home. I’ve been using it for my skin, for about a month several times a week, to try and dissolve some scars and although the scars have not yet dissolved, I did notice my skin to become much smoother. With natural therapies it is all about consistency for a long period of time. It is like you have to drink water consistently to stay hydrated and you have to breathe consistency to stay alive. Before using this medicine, you have to read the books on it. The first book I actually found as an audiobook at my Library’s website called DMSO: Nature’s Healer by Dr. Morton Walker. This book was packed with so much information that I decided to buy a physical copy. I usually try to buy used books because they are cheaper and probably better for the environment. I just make sure there is no writing in them. Usually when you buy used books the seller has a short explanation of the book’s condition. The other book is called Healing with DMSO: The complete guide to safe and natural treatments for managing pain, inflammation, and other chronic ailments with dimethyl sulfoxide by Amandha Vollmer.