I’m always seeking to align science and traditional wisdom with practical health insights. This time, caring for legs, including our "second heart," and a look at Boswellia AKA Frankensense for possible help with inflammation | | |
First, meet your “second heart”
Muscles in the back of the calf contract and compress deep veins like a pump, helping push blood upward to the heart for reoxygenation in the lungs and recirculation throughout the body.
Qigong masters call the compressing muscles our "second heart."
Another reason to care for the calves is that meridian energy channels run along the legs for the spleen, liver, kidney, bladder, and gallbladder.
What to know when massaging your calf:
One fundamental principle in massage training is to use upward strokes on the legs to work in tandem with the “second heart's” pump that moves the blood flow back to the main heart.
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Why I’m sharing a post about Boswellia: I started giving my calves a quick, lubricating massage after seeing an elderly woman in a medical office with dry, crusted plaques covering her legs. It saddened me, and I wondered why her caretakers hadn't addressed it.
It strengthened my resolve to lubricate my own legs, especially during the dry winter season. After bathing,
in addition to rubbing massage oil on my damp legs,
I added a dab of Frankincense oil to my kneecaps, started massaging, and was surprised to find it lessened discomfort in my Lyme-arthritic knees.
| | Taking a closer look at Boswellia, AKA frankincense | | | | |
Boswellia, commonly known as frankincense, is a fragrant resin harvested from trees native to parts of India, Africa, & the Middle East.
Long valued in Ayurvedic medicine and other traditional healing practices, it contains naturally occurring compounds that have attracted modern scientific interest for their potential anti-inflammatory effects.
| | Three different forms: Boswellia for oral supplementation, frankincense resin burned for its aromatic properties, and frankincense essential oil | |
Oral Boswellia supplements
Oral Boswellia supplements are the form most studied for internal health benefits. They contain boswellic acids, including compounds studied for their effects on inflammatory pathways. Promising human research suggests it can reduce osteoarthritis pain, stiffness, and impaired mobility. (NIH-NCCIH -Cochrane)
Small studies have explored oral Boswellia for asthma symptoms, with some encouraging findings
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Frankincense incense, and essential oil
Frankincense is the aromatic resin from cuts in the bark of Boswellia trees. Once collected and dried, it forms small golden resin pieces, often called tears, and people have burned it for centuries in religious ceremonies. Its rising, fragrant smoke became a powerful symbol of reverence, purification, and prayer.
Steam distillation extracts the resin tears, allowing volatile aromatic compounds to travel with the steam, condense, and separate from the water to produce deeply aromatic frankincense essential oil.
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Boswellia for oral supplementation and
the Frankincense oil I use
(only a dab in addition to my regular massage oil)
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Boswellia Joint Formula
Gaia Herbs Pro
Fullscript SKU GAI-90C77060
I love the ethics and effectiveness of Gaia's herbal products, which I have used for years since visiting their North Carolina facility during a Medicines from the Earth Symposium.
This formula is particularly "herbal-wise" because it also contains fenugreek, which Ayurveda uses for joint issues.
But don't try soaking fenugreek seeds for a medicinal drink; they turn liquid into slimy gel - perhaps that's their joint-lubricating capacity!
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Frankincense Oil 100% Pure
Fullscript SKU: NOW-7542
Once I apply a regular massage oil to my calves, (Many options in the CATALOG under massage topical oils) I place a drop of frankincense oil to each knee before massaging.
I also love to dab a drop above my ears on the sides of may face for a stress relieving massage.
A dab above the nose in the middle of the forehead is a great way to open the breath at the start of meditation. Remember never get essential oils in the eyes!
| | If you'd like to explore whether my approach could help you reach your goals, feel free to contact me. | | |
● Wellness coaching to help identify symptom causes and provide methods to achieve natural healing and reach mind-body-spirit goals
● Ondamed Biofeedback using pulsed frequency to gently move energy in the body
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● Powerful Breath-based detox to reduce stress, enlighten, and energize your body
● Lyme disease support from someone who’s walked the path for three decades
● Qigong guidance to awaken your whole body energy flow
alexandra@bewellnaturally.info 201 410-4224
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