Healing Cold & Flu
This article is a summary of my own research, training, personal experience, trial and error when it comes to understanding, preventing and healing colds and flu or other upper respiratory viral infections. I have compiled this information and am sharing it with you in hope that, among it all, you’ll find something that’ll inspire you for your own self care and/or for your loved ones. I want to make clear that I have no affiliation with any of the products, brands or people I refer to, nor am I a doctor. Finally, being French and Australian, you’ll find that some products I refer to come from both places.
Before going into solutions, here are the two concepts you need to keep in mind. “The immune system” is what we are dealing with. “Hygiene on every level” is what we’re aiming for: energetic, psychic, psychological, spiritual (my core expertise), also nutritional and physical hygiene.
Energetic, Psychic & Psychological Hygiene
You wouldn’t question me if I said to you: it’s important you have a shower and brush you teeth at least once a day, everyday. Now how would you react if I said to you: once a day you need to give your energy body and psychic field a good cleanse? The point is, these cleanses are as important as the soap in your shower and the toothpaste on your toothbrush.
Energetic Hygiene
Purification - This is the baseline. Before we even look at your immunity, whether you’re trying to prevent or trying to counteract a virus, cleansing your energetic body is always the first protocol. This means cleansing, clearing your aura, chakras, meridians, health rays, thought forms, low vibrations, etc. Ideally, when you know what to do, purification practice is done on a daily basis - along with your shower.
Immunity - Here we look specifically about what’s going on and work energetically on the physical body: cleansing, decongesting, detoxifying, disinfecting, soothing, calming. Addressing your blood, kidneys, lymphatic system, neck, armpits and groin lymph nodes, your thymus, your spleen, your lungs, your nasal cavity.
Energy healing can assist people to heal from a vast range of physical ailments including musculo-skeletal problems, respiratory issues, pain, organ malfunction, immune system support, headaches, digestive issues, preparation and recovery from injury and surgery, and much more.
Psychic Hygiene
Energetically, we’re all connected. Even if we’re on the other side of the planet, even if a person is no longer in his/her body. Concretely, think about all the contacts on your phone, on your social platforms, the messages you send, the information you absorb. All these create energetic connections, lines of energy. These connections can be even stronger with people we’re closed to, such as family, friends, colleagues. I would call it “lines of attachment”, and in some instances “enmeshment”. All of that happens without you noticing it (although empathic and sensitive people tend to).
Psychic hygiene, at the ‘micro level’, comes in when we look at all these lines of energy and realise that (maybe) they’re draining you, taking away your free-will, your life-force, your power and your freedom. In which case, your energy, which you need to heal, is spread all over, feeding other people, the past, the future, instead of being with you and being the fuel for your body to heal in present time. So one of the protocols of psychic hygiene is to cut all lines of energy that are draining you or that aren’t serving you and to call yourself back home, into your body, into the present moment. There are other aspects of psychic hygiene but that’s a good starting point.
Psychic hygiene is also about the ‘macro level’ - all of us - the collective. We need cleaning and clearing when the global psyche is full of havoc and we’re caught up in it, voluntarily or not. It has been the case with the Coronavirus pandemic. A psychic virus had spread around the globe, sending people into fear, selfish behaviour, scarcity consciousness, mass hysteria and so on. This was greatly propagated by the media, misinformation, lack of leadership, media consumption - the responsibility is shared. In such instances, we really need to unplug ourselves from the mass consciousness, from this specific grid and matrix. We want to bring our power back to ourselves, have discernment and accurate perception.
Energy healing can assist greatly here, to pierce illusion and distortion and see more ‘truth’ - should we want to. I’ll also add that psychic hygiene should be a daily practice, just like energetic hygiene. It doesn’t take long, but it takes some awareness, willingness and consistency.
Psychological Hygiene
Though I am not a trained psychologist, I have trained for years to assist people with their emotional and mental states and help them to get through life’s ups and downs. When we’re sick, when our immune defences are down, and when a pandemic is taking place, this is fertile ground for negative emotions such as fear, judgement, anger, and shame. Emotions are said to be energy in motion. Therefore, the problem arises when these negative emotions and mental states become concretised in our energy field and get stuck there. Over time, this can have a negative impact on the physical body. Energy healings can help you to let go of these, move through them and release safely. Ultimately, it can help you experience a supportive belief system, more love, joy, happiness, peace and good health.
Having on healthier emotional and mental states has a positive impact on our physical health. The opposite is also true. Dr and Reverend Michael Barry who is the author of “The Forgiveness Project”, found that “there is a direct correlation between unforgiveness and our immune system, which directly affects our healing processes”. As a general statement, I’d say that in every healing I have facilitated, there is always an element of forgiveness, be it self-forgiveness, forgiving others or asking for forgiveness. In my personal opinion, forgiveness is an act of self-compassion and freedom.
If you’d like to go deeper into which emotions and mental states can be the root cause for physical symptoms, in general, and cold & flu symptoms, in particular; these are my four go-to books by order of preference. The fifth one, I don’t use but I know some people who do.
Annette Noontil - “The Body is the Barometer of the Soul”
Lise Bourbeau - “Your Body’s Telling You: Love Yourself”
Louise Hay - “Heal Your Body” & “Heal Your Body A-Z: The Mental Causes for Physical Illness and the Way to Overcome Them”
Inna Segal - “Secret Language of your Body”
Deb Shapiro - “Your Body Speaks Your Mind”
I refer to these books if I’m really in need of guidance. I would advise anyone to approach these type of books with discernment and curiosity. If you keep up with your energetic and psychic hygiene, your own intuition may still be your best ally. You know your body best, and if not, you should. Let no one convince you that they know more about you than you do. Having said that we can all do with some external assistance and support. As a practitioner, in addition to my own daily practice, I get a monthly healing as a minimum.
Takeaway - You go to your physician for a physical test, diagnosis, prescription and healing. In the same way you can also go to a energy practitioner. The difference is that we look at you from the perspective described above, we have a different field of expertise. I can’t stress enough how one is not to replace the other, nor be compared. This is why we call it “complementary” therapy, rather than “alternative therapy”. I’ll be straight, energy healing isn’t a very well regulated field. There are a lot of “wanna be” people, well-intended, who aren’t properly trained and who I’ll never let myself or anyone I know go anywhere near. So I encourage you to approach the discipline with discernment and common sense.
Below is a free guided healing meditation to help you clear your energetic and psychic fields of global fear, and viruses. It was created at the very early days of the pandemic.
Spiritual Hygiene
For some people, spirituality is part of who they are, how they live their life and heal. I’ll share with you two practices that can help you with cold & flu, viruses, pandemics and health in general.
Prayer - Teresa of Avila referred to the “power of prayer” as God’s greatest weapon. Pray for yourself, pray for others, pray for the world. Pray for those who are sick, for those who are well. Pray for the grace of healing and recovery. Pray for peace and freedom in the world. You don’t need music, candle, incense, temple, altar (although these are lovely). You don’t need to be religious. All you need is to be in your heart, humble, and for your intention to be genuine. Pray silently or out loud. Pray on your own, pray with a group, pray together.
If you want to explore more on the topic of prayer, I suggest to dive into the work of Caroline Myss and her books “The Power Of Prayer” and “Intimate Conversations with the Divine: Prayer, Guidance, and Grace”.
Mantra - In her latest book, “Sound Medicine: How to Use the Ancient Science of Sound to Heal the Body and Mind“, Kulreet Chaudhary, a neurologist, neuroscientist and practitioner of Ayurvedic medicine, presents a rigorous scientific investigation of the healing power of sound, showing readers how they can use it to improve their mental and physical wellbeing.
One of my spiritual teachers, Sri Sakthi Narayani Amma, has recently shared with the world a Kāli mantra to help eliminating the coronavirus. Amma has suggested to chant this Kāli mantra for 30 minutes each day, preferably out loud.
The mantra itself is: Om Kreem / Maha Kali / Sarva Rhogam / Nasi Nasi.
The mantra translates as:
Om (sound of creation)
Kreem (beej /seed mantra for the goddess Kāli)
Maha Kali (Powerful, Mighty Goddess Kāli)
Sarva (all) Rhogam (diseases)
Nasi Nasi (destroy destroy).
Even though Nasi means “destroy”, there is a deeper meaning to it. Nasi is made up of two beej sounds: Na = soul and Si = fire. So when we chant Nasi Nasi, it is the fire in our soul which is transforming and transmuting the disease.
A recording of the mantra chanted by Amma is available in streaming on Soundcloud. While you’re chanting the mantra, it is recommended that you remain focused the all time and stay with your intention. If you can, visualise the molecule of the virus being dissolved completely by the goddess Kāli. See her sweeping the virus away. Please note, this is a healing mantra, not a mantra suitable for sadhana or for pujas.
Nadav, who is a sacred musician, has recorded a version of the mantra in binaural sound. It’s is available as a free download on Bancamp. The recording is designed to support the autonomic nervous system to help you calm and reconnect to your inner Maha Kāli power.
Cold & Flu Remedies & Recipes
What’s following is my personal experience trying different cold and flu remedies over the years to either prevent or alleviate symptoms and to hasten recovery. From supplements to various recipes, I only share what I have experience with and what works for me. So here is my own cauldron of pantry goodies.
FluAway Tea - That recipe was given to me by the Ayurvedic doctor Rama Prasad. I have adapted it slightly. Mix 1.5 L of boiling water with 20 chopped basil leaves, 2 cm of ginger (grated or chopped finely), 1 cm of turmeric, half a tsp of cinnamon powder or 10 crushed cardamom pods (for flavour), black pepper. Option to add 30 grams of blackstrap molasses or date sugar (I personally don’t add it). You can adjust to your taste. Put all the ingredients in a large thermos. Let it rest for an hour. Then start sipping slowly a small cup of the tea every hour. Do one full thermos daily for 3-5 days.
Vitamins & supplements - When I am in prevention mode, I take Vitamin C and Lysine-L on a daily basis. If I am travelling, I increase my vitamins intake as I tend to get sick easily when I am on the go. I do a course of magnesium and take a tablet a day of ArmaForce® by Bioceuticals which is an immune booster with a blend of herbs and nutrients (among which are echinacea and olive leaf). If I am getting sick, I keep the Lysine-L and swap everything else for the Wellness Formula®, Herbal Defense Complex tablets by Bio Align. This has been a life saver on several trips overseas.
Tonic herbs and medicinal mushrooms - For immunity; preventively or during a case of viral infection, I use the tonic herb Astragalus, the medicinal mushrooms Turkey Tail and Chaga, the blend Mason’s Mushrooms from SuperFeast. I highly recommend this brand. They ship overseas.
Steaming - For head cold and upper respiratory issues. I usually use a pre-made capsule that contains a blend of essential oils that I buy in France called Perubore inhalation and steam once or twice a day depending of the severity of the symptoms. You can also do your own blend of essential oils, I.e. 2 drops of eucalyptus radiata or globulus, 2 drops of tea tree, 2 drops of rosemary cineole.
As I mention essential oils throughout this article, please note that a) I am not an expert, b) one essential oil can be suited for one thing (i.e. steaming) but not for another (i.e. massage), c) essential oils aren’t for everyone. If you use essential oils, make sure you source them from a reputable supplier and preferably invest in organic bottles. Other than that, I invite you to do your own research. I have a few books, sites and apps that I like to use and from where I cross check any information.
Essential oils - Preventatively or as soon as I start to feel the first symptoms, I use Thieves blend from Young Living or On Guard® Protective Blend from dōTERRA, under my feet and inside my wrists. I continue to use them throughout the period I am not well. I also use Kunzea essential oil from Zea Relief. If I have chest pain, I mix of few drops of one of these in some carrier oil and massage it on my upper chest and back.
Decongestion - If needed, I use the Nasal Spray Hypertonic from Puressentiel. I always take it with me when I travel.
Sunlight & D3 - If I can’t get enough of sunlight, I take some vitamin D3. For anyone deficient in D3 (under 50), take 5 drops 2 following days per week. If you just need to maintain your levels (50 to 70), take 1 drop a day. Here 1 drop = 1000 units. This dosage recommendation comes from a Naturopath I know. In Australia, I buy D3 Drops Forte from Bioceuticals. Alternatively, for maintenance, I take 1 capsule a week of D3-50, Cholecalciferol, from Bio Tech Pharmacal.
Aches & Pain - If I am really sore I use either a magnesium cream (not a spray which I find irritates my skin) or a muscle relaxant oil from Puressentiel. Either the muscle relaxing organic massage oil or the muscle & joints friction arnica rub.
Bath - If you’re sore, have aches and pain and if you have a bathtub, I suggest you add to your bath water some Magnesium Mineral Salt Flakes (food grade) and some epsom salt. I also add drops of essential oils of Bergamot.
Sore throat - I use a propolis spray, organic and with no alcohol. If you’ve never used propolis before, test it first as it can cause severe allergies.
Headache - I always carry with me an essential oil roll-on that I buy in France. It’s the only one that works for me. It’s called: SOS Maux de tête by Léa Nature SO'BiO étic®.
Blood cleanse - Once a year a friend who is a healer does this blood cleanse and has had everyone in his family to do the same. His parents in law who keep at it religiously are both more than 95 years old. Here is the recipe. Ingredients: 5 meyer lemons (less seeds), 3 heads of garlic (whole garlic). Peel the garlic. Blend the lemons and the garlic in 1 L of water. Bring it up to boil but don’t boil it. Let it cool. Put it in bottles. Store in the fridge. 30ml a day with meal until you run out.
Home Hygiene
If you’re stuck at home for a few days recovering or self isolating, think about having good ventilation. Let renewed and fresh air in. If you have one, use an air purifier. I personally have an electric one, where I can change the filter. I also use the purifying air spray from Puressentiel.
You may also consider an essential oils diffuser. I am not going to discuss diffusers, all I’ll say is that they’re not all made equal, there are different methods, so better to do your research before you invest. Regarding the essential oils to diffuse, there are plenty of guides, articles and books that you can take inspiration from. For cold & flu season, I personally use: Thieves blend from Young Living, On Guard® Protective Blend from dōTERRA, Tea tree, Eucalyptus (different types) , Niaouli, Ravintsara, Kunzea.
Please note that not all essential oils are suited for diffusion and that essential oil diffusion isn’t for everyone. Especially if you have asthma, allergies, pets, young kids. Again, do your research first and decide what’s best for your personal situation.
Physical & Lifestyle Hygiene
During period of cold, flu and pandemic viruses, physical hygiene is twofold. It’s about protecting yourself and protecting others. Dr. Michael Greger MD reminds us in his book “How Not To Die” to practice good respiratory etiquette by coughing or sneezing into your bent elbow to limit the dispersal of respiratory droplets and avoid contaminating your hands. When you cough into your hand, you can transfer contagion to everything you touch.
Ideally, you should sanitise your hands after every bathroom visit and handshake, before all food preparation, and before touching your eyes, nose, or mouth after coming in contact with public surfaces. The World Health Organization favours the use of alcohol-based sanitising rubs or gels over hand washing for routine disinfection of your hands throughout the day. Some people would disagree with this and prefer normal hand washing. Whichever you prefer, the point is, keep your hands clean.
In extreme cases, if you’ve ran out of hand and surface sanitiser and can’t repurchase. Here is an alternative that I was given by a pharmacist: use 2/3 of methylated spirit to 1/3 water in a spray bottle.
When it comes to exercice and immunity, this is an interesting one. As Dr Michael Greger wrote, “while regular physical activity improves immune function and lowers respiratory infection risk, sustained and intense exertion may have the opposite effect”. Overtraining and excessive physical stress can increase the risk of infection by impairing immune function. Therefore, it’s important to self regulate and establish a balanced exercise regime.
If you actually have a cold or the flu, you may want to stop exercising altogether until you’ve fully recovered. Not doing so, especially when having the flu, can put you at risk. Besides, what most people need in this situation is sleep and rest. It’s an understatement to say: listen to your body and what it needs. Don’t make excuses and give yourself proper rest and sleep. It’s usually a time to ramp up self care, recharge and take time out.
It’s important to know that respiratory infections can be triggered by the reactivation of latent viruses that are already inside the body. We call it viral latency. So even if you’ve respected social distancing and taken precautions, as soon as your immune function dips, a dormant virus can return and make you sick. This is why when some people are run down, they get cold sores or resurgence of glandular fever.
If you wish to make suggestion, add to this article, ask for some extra information, I’d love to hear from you. You can send me a message via the contact form.