ing that everything is connect-

ed. The color is green.

5th Chakra ~ Throat Chakra

Vishuddha is located in the cen-

ter of the neck and is the center

of communication. It is in-

volved with speaking your

truth. This is about expressing

your authentic self, no matter

what your family or cultural

conditioning has taught you. It

is about standing up for what

you believe in and is linked to

personal integrity and a sense of

honor. It is the first of the spir-

itual chakras. It governs the

thyroid and parathyroid. The

color associated with this chak-

ra is blue.

6th Chakra ~ 3rd Eye

Ajna is located in the center of

the forehead between the eye-

brows and lies within the brain.

It is the center of intuition, in-

sight and higher wisdom. It is

the combination of all the ele-

ments in their pure form, of

seeing both the inner and outer

worlds. When the third eye is

open, you see and understand.

The color is indigo.

7th Chakra ~ Crown

Sahasrara is located above the

head and gives us access to

higher states of consciousness.

It is associated with the pitui-

tary gland, the master gland. It

is associated with a white or

deep purple color.

A chakra is an energy center

within the human body. The

word chakra means “wheel”

and acts like a vortex of

spinning energy that inter-

acts with our physiological

and neurological systems

within our bodies. They help

regulate our immune, nerv-

ous, emotional and bodily

organ systems.

There are 7 basic chakras

located in the body which

start at the base of the spine

and move up into the crown

above the head.

1st Chakra ~ Root

Muladhara or the root chak-

ra is located at the base of

the spine. It is the Earth

Chakra and is responsible

for safety and security. It is

your survivor center, but this

chakra can be blocked by

fear. This chakra is associat-

ed with your deepest con-

nection with the Earth. It is

associated with the the color

red.

2nd Chakra ~ Naval

Svadhishthana is the sacral

chakra or water chakra. This

is your passion and pleasure

center. It is the center of

emotions, feelings, intimacy,

sensuality and connection.

This chakra may be blocked

by guilt or shame, so learn

how to forgive yourself.

This chakra helps to connect

with your feelings, emotions

and your creativity. It is asso-

ciated with the color is or-

ange.

3rd Chakra ~ Solar Plexus

Manipura or the solar plexus

chakra is the core of our per-

sonality, of who we are and

our identity. It is the center of

our self esteem, it is about

moving forward and meeting

the challenges in your life.

Too much third chakra ener-

gy and one is prone to emo-

tional outbursts and stress. It

is associated with the color

yellow.

4th

Chakra ~ Heart

Anahata is the center chakra

where the physical and spir-

itual realms meet. This is the

center for love, joy and com-

passion. This is where deep

bonds with others, self love,

generosity, kindness and your

sense of caring happens. This

chakra allows us to connect

with all of life and the know-

The Seven Chakras

THE SEVEN CHAKRAS 1

SUPERB HERB ~ SCHISANDRA 2

FOOD AS MEDICINE ~ PINEAPPLE 2

CHIRON HOLISTIC EXPANDS !!! BLESSING BLANKETS BY CARRIE

3

3

MUSCLE OF THE MONTH ~ GASTROCNEMIUS & SOLEUS

4

AURORA THEATER ~ JAN 12-FEB 18 CALENDAR GIRLS INTRODUCTION TO TANTRA ~ FEB 10 CHAPEL OF SPIRITUAL LIGHT BURN SCAR MASSAGE THERAPY ~ MARCH 4—CHIRON HOLISTIC HOSTING SOUTH TEXAS BOTANICAL GARDENS LECTURES FEB 7—WILDFLOWER LEGENDS FEB 14—ROSES FEB 17—SPRING VEGGIE GARDENING FEB 28—WORM COMPOSTING 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

February 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 ~ Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis)

Inside This Issue:

Upcoming Events:

This newsletter is brought

to you by Chiron Holistic &

Sparky’s Spa, 505 S. Water

Street, Suite 501B in Cor-

pus Christi. Our passion is

bringing therapeutic mas-

sage, herbal health and well

being to you. Call or text

(361) 877-6900 for an ap-

pointment today!

Page 2

Superb Herb ~ Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis)

Schisandra (Schisandra

chinensis) is a very special

medicinal plant in that the

dried berries contain all 5

flavors: sweet, salty, sour,

bitter and pun-

gent. Each taste

benefits a differ-

ent organ or one

of the body’s

systems, such as

bitter taste stimu-

lates bile produc-

tion, thus aiding

the liver and gall

bladder.

Schisandra is a

climbing vine and

grows in north-

east China and

parts of Russia, so it enjoys

the frost and cold to thrive.

The bright red berries are

dried in the sun, which is the

part of the plant used for me-

dicinal purposes.

Wu Wei Zi or schisandra

berry is an adaptogen and

Schisandra berries are high in

antioxidants, fights free radical

damage, lowers inflammation,

strengthens the immune sys-

tem, balances blood sugar,

protects skin,

slows down ath-

erosclerosis,

controls release

of leukocytes

and has a chemo

-protective abil-

ity.

Recent research

is looking into

schisandra’s

ability to treat

addictions. One

reason is that it

reduces the lev-

els of an enzyme called glu-

tamic-pyruvic transaminase

(SGPT). This enzyme is a

marker for liver damage. Sec-

ond, it reduces stress hormones

in the blood. Third, it benefits

the adrenal glands and acts on

the liver for detoxification.

general tonic. It decreases

fatigue, enhances physical

performance, coordination and

endurance. It is suggested for

use with athletes due to these

properties. It also enhances

mental performance such as

concentration, attention, and

speed of thinking. It may slow

down the aging process, in-

crease longevity and overall

vitality. It is also used as a

sexual tonic.

Food as Medicine ~ Pineapple

One may drive by fields of

pineapples in Hawaii or you

can grow your own by just

taking the top off the pineap-

ple and putting it in the soil.

Its fun to see the baby pine-

apple grow, it takes a long

time and the plant leaves will

stab you like a sword, but the

fruit is the reward.

Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

is a tropical fruit in the Bro-

meliaceae Family.

Pineapples boost the immune

system, aid digestion, reduce

inflammation, and benefit

the respiratory system. It is

full of vitamins and minerals,

including potassium, copper,

manganese, calcium, magne-

sium, vitamin C, vitamin B6,

fiber and bromelain. Brome-

lain is a proteolytic enzyme

which helps break down

complex proteins. It is re-

sponsible for the anti-

inflammatory effects. Thus,

this wonderful fruit is helpful

in reducing pain and inflam-

mation of arthritis. It boosts

the immune system because

it is a rich source of vitamin

C. Vitamin C is important for

producing collagen, so it is

helpful for skin and wound

healing as well. It is also rich in

anti-oxidants such as vitamin

A, beta carotene, manganese

and bromelain, therefore mak-

ing it beneficial to fight cancer.

In fact, most of its cancer

fighting compounds are found

in the stem, the part you usual-

ly cut off and throw away. It is

also great for soothing diges-

tion, aiding diarrhea, IBS, ath-

erosclerosis and constipation.

One fresh pineapple can pack a

punch of sunshine into your

day with all these great health

benefits. Make wise choices

because what you eat is your

medicine.

“I AM OPEN

TO THE

GUIDANCE OF

SYNCHRONICITY

AND DO NOTLET

EXPECTATIONS

HINDER MY PATH.”

- DALAI LAMA

Page 3

“THOSE THAT

FOLLOW

THE CROWD,

ARE OFTEN

LOST

IN IT.”

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

emailing: chironholistic@yahoo.com or call /text me at (361) 877-6900

Chiron Holistic is Expanding!! Chiron Holistic has not

moved but we have ex-

panded into a bigger

space. The massage room

is still in the same loca-

tion, but we have expand-

ed into the next room to

bring you all the herbal

health products we enjoy.

Salves, tinctures, teas,

lotions, oils, soaps, sup-

plements, herbal pet care

and baby care, as well as a

plethora of bulk herbs and

spices will be provided at

our store. If we don’t have

it … ask … we can get it

for you!

Classes will be offered

soon on Saturday morn-

ings from 10-11 am. A few of

the class subjects offered will

be Properties of Herbs, The

Endocannabinoid System,

Ayurvedic Dosha System,

Tongue Diagnosis, 5 Tastes of

Herbs, Food as Medicine,

slide show of Medicinal Plants

of Texas as well as weekend

classes for Making Herbal

Medicines. Learn how to

make your own chemical free

products such as natural cough

syrup, lip balm, salves, tinc-

tures, teas, oils, soaps, deodor-

ants, toothpaste and household

cleaning products.

Stop by and visit us! Massages

are by appointment. We are

still putting the finishing

touches on the

shop so please call

or text before you

stop by, so I can

be there. Classes

will be advertised

at store, facebook

and email, so if

your not connect-

ed, please do so!

Call or text at

(361) 877-6900,

Facebook is

Sparky’s Spa or

email me at chi-

ronholistic@yahoo.com to make

sure you get a newsletter. Please

share with your friends!

Hope to see you soon!

Blessing Blankets handmade by Carrie

Local artist, Carrie Flem-

ing is the artist behind

Blessing Blankets. She

started crocheting two

years ago when she de-

cided to make their first

grandbaby a baby blan-

ket. The love for crochet-

ing and the special care it

takes to make a hand-

made gift, truly demon-

strates her labor of love.

Blessing Blankets are

incredibly soft, hand-

made blankets made with

loving intentions. Each

blanket is prayed over,

therefore passing the

blessings onto whoever

uses them. They can be

made to order, choosing

yarn, colors, size and even

special intentions for your

loved one.

Carrie is selling her Bless-

ing Blankets at Chiron

Holistic, 505 S. Water

Street, Suite 501B in Cor-

pus Christi. Please stop by

to see her samples and feel

the incredible softness of

these wonderful Blessing

Blankets!

However, this muscle is not

even present in 10-20% of the

population.

The gastrocnemius runs the

entire length of the lower leg, it

is the larger of the two posteri-

or muscles of the calf. It origi-

nates at the back of the femur,

behind the knee and the knee

cap or patella. It attaches at the

Achilles tendon at the heel or

calcaneus. The gastrocnemius

branches at the top behind the

knee into a medial and a lateral

head. It crosses at the knee

joint and its action is responsi-

ble for knee flexion, along with

the 3 hamstring muscles. It also

crosses at the ankle joint where

it is responsible for actions

such as pointing the toes and

moving the sole of the foot

posteriorly. Basically the gas-

trocnemius bends the knee and

flexes the foot.

Let me tell you …. Going

up and down a step ladder

for two days will kill those

calf muscles.

Then jumped

into a tiny car

and drive 4

hours …. I

liked to never

walk again!

The gas-

trocnemius

and soleus are

two muscles

that form the

calf muscle.

There is actu-

ally a third

muscle called

the plantaris

muscle which

is a thin, small

muscle extending 2-4”

down from the knee and

lies between the gas-

trocnemius and soleus.

The soleus is the flat muscle

that lies underneath the gas-

trocnemius, and also runs from

behind the knee to the calcane-

us. It originates at the fibula and

inserts at the heel. It is involved

with plantar flexion, standing,

walking and keeping balance.

The soleus is also called the

skeletal muscle pump in that it

helps with pumping venous

blood back up to the heart from

the periphery.

Avid runners, dancers, weight

lifters may have extremely tight

calf muscles. Clients who climb

ladders or have plantar fasciitis,

an inflammation of the tissue

that connects the heel bone to

the toes, will find relief by mas-

saging the gastrocnemius and

the soleus. And because the calf

muscles connection to the knee,

any knee problems should be

addressed via gastrocnemius.

Muscle of the Month ~ Calf Muscles

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

This little berry packs a punch, but not many people enjoy a bitter taste, but that is what our Western diet needs to aid in detoxifica-

tion of the liver and stimulate the digestion.