Healing as the Smoke Continues to Clear

Self-Care to support self-healing as the smoke lingers in our sky.

Because of the massive fires in Oregon, California, and beyond, many of us have been exposed to high levels of toxins from the smoke. Some of the symptoms of smoke inhalation are headaches, dry, scratchy throat, irritated sinuses, runny nose, postnasal drip, or increased mucous in the throat. The most common is coughing, which is the body's natural defense mechanism. Some of us with pulmonary issues have had more severe manifestations like asthma & bronchitis. Other side effects to be aware of include: feeling more tired than usual, shortness of breath and chest pain. Your body is letting you know you need more rest time to recover from activities.

As we look out into the cloudy haze, powerless, all of us feel a certain amount of stress, fear, and anxiety. We cannot control the smoke. Our brave and amazing firefighters continue to do the best they can to stop the fires. The recovery and healing are going to take a long time for us on so many levels. Being committed to your self-care needs to be a priority. I want to share a few ideas of what you can do to help your lungs and your body cope and recover from the effects of the smoke inhalation:

• Drink more fluids than usual. It is essential to stay hydrated to help flush out toxins.
• One of the essential things you can do to keep stress down and improve lung function is yoga breathing exercises. It can rejuvenate and cleanse the lungs of accumulated impurities in the smoky air.
• Therapeutic Himalayan Salt Air Inhaler:

I have been using this fantastic drug-free inhaler, and I love it! When you inhale through the mouthpiece, the passing moisture absorbs micron particles of this incredibly pure, bioenergetic and mineral-laden Himalayan Pink Salt that penetrates and cleanses the entire respiratory system, including sinuses, nasal cavities, throat, and lungs. This salt air bath flushes impurities such as allergy and asthma triggers, smoke particulates and others. It also helps symptoms of Allergies, Shortness of Breath, Hay fever, Cold, Bronchitis, Sinus Conditions and other Respiratory Symptoms caused by mold, fungus, smoke and pollution in the air.  (I have a few left at Pico's call 541-899-4400 or you can find them online.)

• Practice Yoga! The JoyFull Yoga Chi Balancing Salutation and the Dynamic Movement Meditation are both effective ways to activate your lungs and create a healthy flow of energy in your body. It is part of my Spark Self-Healing & Chi Balancing JoyFull Yoga class. Find out more at https://www.louiselavergne.com/spark-membership

  • Click here to try a Chair class or here for a Mat Class 

Foods that can help:

• Increase antioxidant-rich foods and drinks, such as leafy greens, berries and green tea, which help counteract free radicals. 
• Increase Omegas and Healthy Oils, which help internally counteract the drying effects of smoke. Wild Salmon, flax seeds, and walnuts are excellent food sources of Omega-3. Olive oil is a good choice of fat. Avoid hydrogenated oils.
• Eat plenty of pineapples. The active ingredient in pineapple is bromelin, which helps cleanse your lungs at a cellular level—it helps to increase the elasticity of the tissues so you can breathe deeper and take in more oxygen.
• Eat garlic! Try it crushed in olive oil or add it to your meals. The dominant active ingredient in garlic is allicin. This compound acts by dissolving the toxic mucous leftover from smoke inhalation kills bacteria and helps you breathe normally.
• Eat apples every day. Eating this fruit over time will improve your lung function while detoxifying your lungs at the cellular level. Apples contain a high amount of ascorbic acid and magnesium.
• Start the day with a cup of hot water with lemon to flush toxins and drink a cup of green tea every day, preferably 1 hour after a meal. It contains powerful antioxidants, called catechins, which help fight toxins. Grapes, berries, red wine, and dark chocolate also have potent antioxidants (and more calories).
• Finally, get plenty of rest. Sleep is when the body heals and restores.

I want to express my gratitude to all the firefighters and all those who worked so hard on monitoring and helping us be safe during this time. Breathe gently in gratitude. Live lovingly in joy. Namaste.

©Louise Lavergne 2009-2020 please share with author credit and link www.Louiselavergne.com