Saging

Originally this post was meant to tout the amazing effects smudging with sage has,  particularly its ability to purify the air of pathogens. Unfortunately, I could find nothing, nada, not a single iota of evidence to support this claim.

Instead, I found post after post, on metaphysical blogs, magazine and newspaper blogs, on blogs by so called trendsetters and celebrities alike, citing the same misrepresented scientific study. Did anyone even care to read this study before they used it as evidence? I even found this same misinformation, and that’s what it is – misinformation, on more than a few, well known, long trusted, ‘medical’ information websites, that millions of people blindly consult every day. I have to admit, I was one of the sheep, but not anymore!

The grossly misrepresented study, ‘Medicinal smoke reduces airborne bacteria.’, was conducted at the National Botanical Research Institute – India and published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology in 2007. White Sage was not one of the plants included in the study and smudging was not the method of administration. Then there is the fact that bacteria and virus are two very different things, more about that later.

At a later date I will definitely do a post about the benefits of sage, and there are plenty. I have pages upon pages of information to sift through. Now that we carry many different herbs in our sister shop Selenite Dragon, I have immersed myself in a quest for more knowledge about the plant kingdom.

Now back to the original purpose of this post, protecting yourself during the pandemic. Interestingly enough the first step recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, CDC, is to wash your hands often with soap and water. Didn’t everyone learn this from their parents growing up? Yes, good old soap and water is preferred over hand sanitizer. In the CDC publication, ‘Handwashing and Hand Sanitizer Use’, it states “If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol, and wash with soap and water as soon as you can.”. There are links below with further information on how to protect yourself.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Bacteria are single-celled microorganisms that thrive in many different types of environments.”, and “Viruses are even smaller than bacteria and require living hosts — such as people, plants or animals — to multiply. Otherwise, they can’t survive.”.

Common sense dictates that if we can restrict the access to more living hosts, aka ourselves, family, friends, co-workers, etc., we can limit the spread of this contagion. You alone are responsible for spreading your germs, not your neighbor, your mayor, your governor and certainly not the president. You, only YOU. Be responsible. Wash your hands. Practice social-distancing. If you don’t feel well, stay home. Cough into your elbow. Sneeze into your shirt. Stop spraying the rest of the world with your germs.

We have the ability to lessen the impact. Together we can create a safer environment. Get the facts.

Insert Warning Here: Always verify that the sites you depend on are reliable. Who are they really? Look for the About page. If it is buried or non-existent, find out why? Three very popular, self-proclaimed medical websites, who many perceive as competitors, actually share the same parent company. Who by the way has absolutely nothing to do with the medical field other than the handful of websites they crank out full of ads, designed to soak up clickable bucks. Are they more concerned with presenting accurate information or does it seem skewed toward promoting big pharma. When I took a closer look at the parent company I found it is a direct marketing company that acquires customers for brands in the home services, financial services, and healthcare industries.

#BrowserBeware #BuyerBeware #KnowledgeIsPower #MisInformation

Technology is great but, it also makes the proliferation of misinformation that much more widespread. When choosing to copy & paste, we need to be responsible enough to do so within the context of the original material. Please, don’t take my word for it. Check it out for yourself. Don’t be lazy, dig deep. Your life could depend on it.

In the mean time, Stay Calm, Stay Safe, Stay Well & Wash Your Hands!

Summary of study Medicinal smoke reduces airborne bacteria.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]
     'How to Protect Yourself'
     'Handwashing and Hand Sanitizer Use'
     'Show Me the Science - How to Wash Your Hands'

Mayo Clinic
     'Bacterial vs. viral infections: How do they differ?'
 
This was thought provoking and left me a bit dismayed.
TED2015 | March 2015 'The next outbreak? We’re not ready | Bill Gates'

Page Photo Credits: Photos are courtesy of Living the Crystal Life Crew unless otherwise noted.

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#BrowserBeware #BuyerBeware #CDC #coronavirus #currentevents #Healing #Health #Holistic #ILoveScience #KnowledgeIsPower #pandemic #Sage #Science #ScienceMeetsSpirit #Smudge #SoapAndWater #SocialDistancing #WhereScienceAndSpiritMeet