I've emerged from the writer's cocoon, returned from an endearing trip to Ireland, and am once again seeing clients face-to-face in Aptos.

Aptos is 15 minutes south of Santa Cruz, 35 minutes north of Monterey, and 45 minutes from San Jose. Come on up, down, or over the hill. I look forward to connecting in-person with you again!

One thing I tune in on when a client comes to me is their root chakra. If this energy center is out of balance, the entire chakra system can be working at limited capacity.

The root chakra (chakra meaning "wheel of light") is located at the base of the spine. It's sometimes called the base chakra. Energy is drawn up into this chakra then weaves its way upward through the body's other energy centers.

This chakra can become sluggish, limiting the amount of fresh energy that can flow through. Emotional issues or a sudden change that rocks us off of our normal "foundation" can cause the root chakra to fall out of balance.

When the root chakra is blocked or stuck in some way we can experience addictions, feelings of being unsettled, nervous, ungrounded, or we can have security or survival issues. There are many reasons to clear this chakra and rebalance it. This is something I do regularly with each client I see. Sometimes this alone will clear up issues that have plagued a person!

In our culture we don't understand much of what we cannot see or examine scientifically, but the chakras have been studied extensively and have been seen clearly for thousands of years. I think we can safely accept the relevance of their role in our health and wellbeing.

One way you can help your own root chakra is to sit on the earth. How often do we do this in our modern lifestyle? I encourage you to go outside and sit right down on the earth regularly.

Further, we women can swing our hips a bit more as nature intended the way we did before we were taught to be proper and keep that area contained. Those of us trained in ballet need to be doubly aware of the need to open that chakra. Belly dancing will do the trick!

Many of you are aware that several counties in California, including Monterey and Santa Cruz, are being sprayed with pesticides from airplanes that fly right over our homes, schools, stores, and organic farms and gardens. Poisons are being sprayed on top of our heads.

The first round, which had been disputed fervently by local residents without success, caused hundreds of respiratory ailments in the local population. Our next step is to protect ourselves from the toxins.

Here are just a few quickies: Drink warm water in the morning with the juice of 1/2 lemon in it. Eat extra organic vegetables throughout the day. Be certain your bowels are moving regularly. If they are not, increase your intake of Vitamin C. Remove your shoes at the door to avoid tracking toxins through your home. Invest in an indoor air purifier.

For those of you that enjoy learning about and using essential oils, you can get a bottle of RC, an essential oil from Young Living formulated to heal the respiratory system. It's anti-infectious, antibacterial, antiseptic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and disinfects your sinuses and lungs. If you can't find it, contact me and I will get it for you. It's about $20.

Visit my updated blog and share information you have about holistic health, consciousness, spirituality, or anything you would like to comment on. I'll continue to add my thoughts.

I've just made it easier for people to comment on the blog. I'm new to the process myself, but give it a try and let's see what happens!

I'll add a photo soon of Rami, my black Labrador/German Shepherd who just keeps growing, and growing, and growing. Stay tuned!

Plus, just check it out to see the photo of the Cliffs of Moher. It's hard to believe my little camera could get that photo, but it's so beautiful there it's not hard to get these incredible shots.

My purpose with this newsletter is to educate and acquaint the reader with natural methods of healing and to expand awareness. Any methods discussed herein are considered "alternative" and by definition have not been investigated or regulated by any governmental agency. Pregnant women need to consult with a physician before using any treatments, alternative or otherwise. You must take full responsibility for your health while I must expressly disclaim responsibility for how you use the information I provide.