feelings and emotions such as

nervousness, anxiety, pain, fear

and spasms.

Vata people tend to be thin and

their bone structure is light. If a

Vata person is imbalanced, their

nervous system becomes jacked

up. Be aware Vatas, not to drink

too much caffeine, but try more

calming drinks such as chamo-

mile tea, warm milk and

kombucha for your digestive

system. Vatas need calming

music and calming colors to

relax.

Pitta is translated as fire, mean-

ing the bodily heat energy. Pitta

governs digestion, absorption,

assimilation, nutrition, metabo-

lism, body temperature, skin

coloration, intelligence and un-

derstanding. Psychologically

pitta arouses anger, hate and

jealousy. The small intestine,

stomach, sweat glands, blood,

fat, eyes and skin are the seats

Ayurveda is a holistic med-

ical system of healing in-

digenous to India and prac-

ticed for more than 5,000

years. The word

“Ayurveda” is a Sanskrit

term meaning “science of

life”. It was first recorded

in the Vedas, the world’s

oldest extant medical book.

Ayurveda teaches us that

man is a microcosm, a uni-

verse within himself. It is a

medical-metaphysical heal-

ing life science in which

practical knowledge of self

-healing may be acquired

by anyone.

In Ayurveda there are three

doshas which govern all

biological, psychological

and physiopathological

functions of the body, mind

and spirit. A dosha is the

energy that defines you or

your human constitution

that we are born with. The

three doshas are vata, pitta

and kapha. These basic

constitution of an individual

are genetically determined

and will remain constant dur-

ing his/her lifetime. It is the

combination of the five dif-

ferent elements (ether, air,

fire, water and earth) that

make up these three basic

energies: vata, pitta and

kapha. These doshas are pre-

sent in everything and every-

body, down to every tissue,

organ and cell. If all these

energies are in balance, then

they create health. However,

when out of balance, they

create dis-ease.

Vata is formed from the two

elements, ether and air. It is

the principle of movement.

Vata governs breathing,

blinking, movements in the

muscles and tissues; pulsa-

tions of the heart; all expan-

sion and contraction; move-

ments of cytoplasm and cell

membranes; and the move-

ment of single impulses in

nerve cells. Vata also governs

Ayurveda: The Science of Life

AYURVEDA: THE SCIIENCE OF LIFE 1

SUPERB HERB ~ DEVIL’S CLAW 2

FOOD AS MEDICINE ~ OKRA 3

AYURVEDA ...CONT’D 3

MUSCLE OF THE MONTH ~ GRACILIS 4

AURORA THEATER ~ FOOTLOOSE JULY 13—AUGUST 25 HARBOR PLAYHOUSE ~ NO OPERA AT THE OP’RY HOUSE TONIGHT JULY 6—JULY 29 FRIDA FANATICS JULY 7 AT 3 PM PROGRESSIVE CENTER FOR STUDIES & CULTURE CACAO CEREMONY W JAH HENDO JULY 6 AT 6:30 PM 2410 CAPITAN DR RED TENT BUTTERFLY PARTY JULY 21 FROM 1-4 PM UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH FARMER’S MARKET ~ EVERY WEDNESDAY AT THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS DOWNTOWN CORPUS CHRISTI 5-8 PM EVERY SATURDAY AT EVERHART & HOLLY CORPUS CHRISTI 9-12

July 2018

~ T H E R A P E U T I C M A S S A G E & H E R B A L H E A L T H ~

Superb Herb ~ Devil’s Claw

Inside This Issue:

Upcoming Events:

This newsletter is pub-

lished by Chiron Holistic,

LLC. The information in

this newsletter is meant

for educational purposes.

Our passion is bringing

therapeutic massage, herb-

al health and well being to

you. Call or text (361) 877

-6900 for an appointment

today!

continued on page 3 ….

Making Herbal Salves and Oils Workshop

Chiron Holistic will host a class on Sunday, July 29 from 10 am—2 pm on

how to make herbal salves and oils. We will make a healing comfrey/calendula

salve, lip balm, herbal oil, and natural insect repellent. Supplies are provided

and all participants take home their goods. Cost is $50. Please RSVP at (361)

877-6900 or chironholistic@yahoo.com

Page 2

Superb Herb ~ Devil’s Claw

If you would like to submit an article, letter or calendar event please submit

in a Word document by emailing to : chironholistic@yahoo.com If you have

any questions please call or text (361) 877-6900.

Devil’s Claw

(Harpagophytum procum-

bens) is a traditional African

plant found in the Kalahari

and Savannah desert regions

of southern Afri-

ca. It is the large,

claw-like fruit

that inspired the

name of this

plant. If we look

at the Doctrine of

Signatures, which

states that “a

plant that resem-

bles various parts

of the body

which can be used by herbal-

ists to treat ailments of those

body parts”, we can under-

stand the likeness of the

joints in the body to the phys-

ical characteristics of this

plant. Devil’s Claw is a reme-

to that of Ibuprofen and aspirin,

just the plant had fewer side ef-

fects, especially when the liver

and stomach are concerned. A

strong tea may be taken one time

a day for a slow but sure pain

relief. It can be taken by capsule

or tincture as well. There are still

certain precautions used with this

plant in that it should not be taken

if one is pregnant, has ulcers,

high blood pressure or on heart or

diabetes medications.

dy for joint pain, osteoarthritis

and rheumatoid arthritis.

Devil’s Claw is an anti-

inflammatory, analgesic, ano-

dyne and bitter. It contains

two active ingredients:

harpagoside and beta sitos-

terol. These are iridoids,

which are chemical com-

pounds that contain anti-

inflammatory properties. It

offers joint pain relief for os-

teroarthritis and rheumatoid

arthritis. It also benefits

lower back pain, knee

and hip pain, bursitis,

tendonitis and digestive

disorders. It also may

benefit lupus, gout and

fibromyalgia.

A study in France found

that Devil’s Claw

showed similar benefits “WE MUST

ACCEPT FINITE

DISAPPOINT-

MENT, BUT

NEVER LOSE

INFINITE HOPE.”

- MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Chocolate Chia Pudding

2 1/2 cups Unsweetened almond or coconut milk

1/4 cup Cocoa

1/2 cup Chia Seeds

1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

Optional Stevia drops, truvia, or honey for sweetner

Pour milk in bowl with vanilla and cocoa. Mix well. Stir in chia seeds.

Stir every 5 minutes for the next 15 minutes. Cover and refrigerate 1

hour. Take out and blend with electric mixer for a creamier consistency.

Add strawberries or raspberries topped with cream and serve. Serves 4.

Page 3

“HOPE ITSELF

IS LIKE A STAR—

NOT TO BE

SEEN IN THE

SUNSHINE OF

PROSPERITY,

AND ONLY

TO BE

DISCOVERED IN

THE

NIGHT OF

ADVERSITY.”

— CHARLES H.

SPURGEON

Ayurveda … contd from page 1

Food as Medicine ~ Okra I was traveling in Belize stay-

ing at a camp in the jungle

with a group of women study-

ing Maya Abdominal Mas-

sage, when the breakfast of

scrambled eggs and okra was

laid before us. Most of the

group exclaimed, “What’s that

in the eggs?!” I was like …

“Oh cool! Okra!”

Okra (Abelmoschos sp.) is

also known as ladies fingers

and if you don’t watch them

daily, they will grow to huge

fingers very quickly. Okra is

in the Malvaceae Family or

the mallow family. It is the

edible green seed pods that we

love to cook, pickle or eat raw

in salads.

Okra grows well in warm,

temperate climates. Just plant

it, and forget it. One cup of

okra is equal to 33 calories. It

contains vitamins A, B1, B2,

B3, C, E, K, folate, potassi-

um, calcium, magnesium,

phosphorus, zinc, and iron.

Raw okra contains 90% wa-

ter, 2% protein and 7% car-

bohydrates. The leaves may

be steamed and eaten as well

as the seeds can be roasted

and used like coffee beans.

This veggie is low on calories

and high in fiber.

Okra is very mucilaginous,

meaning it has a slimy, gooey

consistency when cooked. It

is beneficial to the digestive

system. It manages blood

sugar levels in Type 1, 2, and

gestational diabetes. Its Vita-

min K helps strengthens

bones. It helps prevent con-

stipation, colon cancer, sun-

stroke, kidney disease and

helps control asthma, skin

pigmentation, obesity, and

high cholesterol. It is a great

hair conditioner bringing shine

and moisture to hair and

fighting dandruff problems. Its

high folate content provides

beneficial factors to pregnant

moms, as it helps prevent birth

defects. In fact, the Maya mid-

wives told us that by eating

steamed okra 2 weeks before

giving birth made the mom’s

delivery much easier.

I planted 3 okra plants in the

garden and they stand approxi-

mately 3 feet tall, with beauti-

ful soft yellow flowers with

purple centers. The seed pods

grow upward, but if you don’t

check the plant every day,

those seed pods will get too

big, making for a fibrous, tough

meal. The small to medium

size works well, so try them in

your scramble eggs in the

morning.

of pitta. Pitta is formed from

the two elements, fire and

water.

Pitta people are very intelli-

gent and educated. An unbal-

anced Pitta person can be a

control freak. They tend to-

ward acid reflux and hot

flashes, because the fire in

them has become out of con-

trol. Therefore, cooling foods

will help them out such as

watermelon, cucumbers and

raw salads.

Kapha is formed from the two

elements of earth and water.

Kapha lubricates the joints;

provides moisture to the skin;

helps heal wounds; fills the

spaces in the body; gives bio-

logical strength, vigor and sta-

bility; supports memory reten-

tion; gives energy to the heart

and lungs and maintains im-

munity. Kapha is present in the

chest, throat, head, sinuses,

nose, mouth, stomach, joints,

cytoplasm, plasma and liquid

secretions of the body. Psycho-

logically kapha is responsible

for emotions of attachment,

greed and longstanding envy;

although it is also expressed in

tendencies toward calmness,

forgiveness and love.

Kapha mamas are the most

nurturing people out there.

They are the ones taking care of

us. They tend to be large, vo-

luptuous stature and move very

slowly. Don’t rush a Kapha,

because they will get there in

their own time. Kaphas need

to raise their metabolism, so

eating stimulating foods such

as cayenne, ginger and pep-

permint tea will help. In-

tense colors such as red and

hard rock music will help

with movement for that

Kapha.

Together the tridosha gov-

erns all metabolic activities:

anabolism (kapha), catabo-

lism (vata), and metabolism

(pitta). Therefore a balance

among the tridosha is neces-

sary for good health. So now

you may ask yourself: What

am I?... vata, pitta or kapha?

Gracilis is one of the muscles

of the groin. It is a slender

muscle that originates on the

external side of the pubic

bone and inserts on the tibia

or the shin bone. It is a super-

ficial muscle on the medial

side or inside of the thigh and

is responsible for flexing,

medially rotating and ad-

ducting the hip.

Adduction is the movement

of a body part toward the

body’s midline. Therefore it

is the gracilis muscle whose

Muscle of the Month ~ Gracilis

505 South Water Street

Suite 501 B

Corpus Christi, TX 78401

Phone: 361-877-6900

E-mail:

chironholistic@yahoo.com

Website:

www.chironholistic.com

Check us out on Facebook Sparky’s Spa

Chiron Holistic, LLC is an herbal apothecary and therapeutic massage studio. Susan ‘Sparky’

Sparks began studying medicinal plants some 30+ years ago. She incorporated massage into

her practice in 2001 after studying with Dr. Rosita Arvigo, who developed special massage

techniques from Don Elijio Panti, a famous shaman from Belize. She makes herbal products

with certified organic herbs or they are ethically wildcrafted with love and prayers. Sparky

combines 17 years of massage experience in Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports, Shiatsu, Jin Shin

Do, Tsubo, Foot Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Myofascial Release, Myoskeletal, Maya Ab-

dominal, Maternity, Burn/Scar, Onocology and Medical Massage. She is a member American

Bodywork & Massage Professionals, American Botanical Council, American Herbalist Guild,

South Texas Botanical Gardens and serves on the Advisory Board for the Texas Department

of Licensing and Regulation for Massage Therapists. She is a Qi Gong Level I Instructor and

Master Gardener. Chiron Holistic is dedicated to providing a pathway towards holistic

health. We are here to assist you on your journey towards wellness.

C H I R O N H O L I S T I C ~ S P A R K Y ’ S S P A

action can clamp the

thighs together and there-

fore called the “anti-rape

muscle” or “the custodian

of virginity”.

Not only is it part of the

groin muscles, but it is

also part of the ham-

strings. Due to the loca-

tion of this muscle, it can

be very vulnerable to

strains and injuries. This is

an important muscle for

athletes, tennis players or

anyone using that fast

transition from leg to leg

action. It stabilizes and

rotates the knee inward.

It is very important to

stretch this muscle before

any strenuous exercise in

order to prevent strains

and maintain against inju-

ries.